Cemetery Perpetual Care Trusts Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) - Cemetery Perpetual Care - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	$ 454,884	$ 657,627
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(21,003)	(28,188)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	357,350	344,426
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(59,508)	(60,395)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	812,234	1,002,053
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(80,511)	(88,583)
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	0	3,275
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	0	(80)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,878	35
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(108)	(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	2,878	3,310
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(108)	(81)
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	21,022	18,499
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(38)	(164)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,069	1,371
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(68)	(102)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	23,091	19,870
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(106)	(266)
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	3,574	5,163
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(102)	(134)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	4,423	4,147
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(260)	(150)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	7,997	9,310
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(362)	(284)
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		303
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss		(3)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value		117
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss		(6)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value		420
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss		(9)
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	115	145
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(12)	(12)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	356	360
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(22)	(19)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	471	505
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(34)	(31)
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	3,240	4,029
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(134)	(159)
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	3,240	4,029
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(134)	(159)
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	94,696	81,624
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(8,843)	(7,793)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	16,916	14,900
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(3,341)	(3,105)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	111,612	96,524
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(12,184)	(10,898)
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	372	702
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(84)	(31)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	532	1,026
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(168)	(575)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	904	1,728
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(252)	(606)
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	7,964	8,734
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(1,450)	(940)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,793	2,347
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(1,475)	(1,450)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	10,757	11,081
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(2,925)	(2,390)
Equity Funds
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	3,778	4,580
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(660)	(606)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,217	1,258
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(1,377)	(1,244)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	4,995	5,838
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(2,037)	(1,850)
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	299,920	519,981
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(9,270)	(18,205)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	294,024	294,309
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(44,905)	(45,708)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	593,944	814,290
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(54,175)	(63,913)
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	434,681	647,035
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(20,593)	(28,127)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	325,208	319,870
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(51,724)	(52,360)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	759,889	966,905
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(72,317)	(80,487)
Reported at net asset value
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	20,203	10,592
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(410)	(61)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	32,142	24,556
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(7,784)	(8,035)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	52,345	35,148
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(8,194)	(8,096)
Reported at net asset value | 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	20,203	10,592
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(410)	(61)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	32,142	24,556
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(7,784)	(8,035)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	52,345	35,148
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	$ (8,194)	$ (8,096)