Cemetery Perpetual Care Trusts Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) - Cemetery Perpetual Care - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	$ 1,023,415	$ 708,011
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	68,494	20,990
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	32,144	35,581
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	8,521	13,031
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,055,559	743,592
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	77,015	34,021
US Treasury Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	3,262	497
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	95	4
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,262	497
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	95	4
Foreign Government Debt Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	15,585	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	40	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,412	7,825
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	114	233
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	16,997	7,825
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	154	233
Corporate Debt Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	2,112	4,656
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	70	108
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	4,474	3,198
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	209	102
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	6,586	7,854
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	279	210
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	200	256
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	1	5
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	89	69
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	6	1
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	289	325
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	7	6
Asset-backed Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	131	373
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	10	4
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	372	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	16	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	503	373
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	26	4
Preferred Stock Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	4,911	2,224
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	626	11
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	49
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	1
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	4,911	2,273
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	626	12
US Common Stock Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	158,685	100,370
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	21,941	4,803
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	419
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	78
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	158,685	100,789
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	21,941	4,881
Canada Common Stock Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	692	2,418
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	303	244
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	923	757
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	534	352
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,615	3,175
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	837	596
Other International Common Stock Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	10,060	4,444
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	2,494	399
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	84	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	29	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	10,144	4,444
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	2,523	399
Equity Funds
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	5,107	2,601
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	1,432	85
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	255	153
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	36	8
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	5,362	2,754
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	1,468	93
Fixed Income Funds
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	822,656	576,890
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	41,471	14,177
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	4,384	2,581
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	453	86
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	827,040	579,471
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	41,924	14,263
Private Equity Funds
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	0	9,213
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	0	798
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	14,564	14,254
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	6,773	9,990
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	14,564	23,467
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	6,773	10,788
Other Investments
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	14	4,069
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	11	352
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	5,587	6,276
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	351	2,180
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	5,601	10,345
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	$ 362	$ 2,532