Goodwill and Intangible Assets Goodwill and Intangible Assets Level 3 (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

The changes in the carrying amounts of goodwill for our funeral and cemetery reporting units are as follows: (in thousands):



	2015									2014
	Funeral			Cemetery			Total			Funeral			Cemetery			Total
	(In thousands)
Balance as of January 1,	$	1,510,879		$	299,974		$	1,810,853		$	1,526,011		$	299,710		$	1,825,721

Increase in goodwill related to acquisitions	6,460			6,201			12,661			292			3,238			3,530
Reduction of goodwill related to divestitures	(8,908		)	(262		)	(9,170		)	(5,959		)	(2,960		)	(8,919		)
Effect of foreign currency	(17,929		)	(75		)	(18,004		)	(9,465		)	(14		)	(9,479		)
Activity	(20,377		)	5,864			(14,513		)	(15,132		)	264			(14,868		)
Balance as of December 31,	$	1,490,502		$	305,838		$	1,796,340		$	1,510,879		$	299,974		$	1,810,853

Schedule of Intangible Assets [Table Text Block]

The components of intangible assets at December 31 were as follows:



	Useful life
	Minimum		Maximum	2015		2014
	(Years)			(In thousands)
Amortizing intangibles:
Covenants-not-to-compete	2	-	20	$	206,822	$	209,920
Customer relationships	10	-	20	154,364		148,351
Tradenames	5	-	5	12,750		12,750
Other	5	-	40	11,927		11,927
				385,863		382,948
Less: Accumulated amortization				257,157		220,682
Amortizing intangibles, net				128,706		162,266

Non-amortizing intangibles:
Tradenames			Indefinite	230,659		220,875
Other			Indefinite	10,640		10,640
Non-amortizing intangibles				241,299		231,515

Intangible assets, net				$	370,005	$	393,781

Schedule of Expected Amortization Expense [Table Text Block]

The following is estimated amortization expense, excluding certain intangibles for which we are unable to provide an estimate because they are amortized based on specific identification in the performance of a preneed contract, for the five years subsequent to December 31, 2015 (in thousands):



2016	$	14,490
2017	$	11,876
2018	$	11,119
2019	$	7,869
2020	$	6,772