Cemetery Perpetual Care Trusts Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) - Cemetery Perpetual Care - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 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	$ 117,297	$ 657,627
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(9,561)	(28,188)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	605,051	344,426
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(50,640)	(60,395)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	722,348	1,002,053
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(60,201)	(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	2,917	35
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(56)	(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	2,917	3,310
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(56)	(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	14	18,499
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	0	(164)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,039	1,371
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(86)	(102)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	2,053	19,870
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(86)	(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	2,961	5,163
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(72)	(134)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,031	4,147
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(77)	(150)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	4,992	9,310
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(149)	(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	11	145
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(9)	(12)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	453	360
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(29)	(19)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	464	505
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(38)	(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	105	4,029
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(3)	(159)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	422	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(72)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	527	4,029
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(75)	(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	77,766	81,624
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(7,212)	(7,793)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	17,978	14,900
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(3,879)	(3,105)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	95,744	96,524
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(11,091)	(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	24	702
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(2)	(31)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	673	1,026
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(145)	(575)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	697	1,728
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(147)	(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	787	8,734
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(61)	(940)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	5,885	2,347
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(1,326)	(1,450)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	6,672	11,081
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(1,387)	(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	4,757	4,580
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(380)	(606)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,553	1,258
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(1,159)	(1,244)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	6,310	5,838
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(1,539)	(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	30,203	519,981
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(1,619)	(18,205)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	545,997	294,309
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(36,592)	(45,708)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	576,200	814,290
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(38,211)	(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	116,628	647,035
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(9,358)	(28,127)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	579,948	319,870
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(43,421)	(52,360)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	696,576	966,905
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(52,779)	(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	669	10,592
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(203)	(61)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	25,103	24,556
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(7,219)	(8,035)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	25,772	35,148
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(7,422)	(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	669	10,592
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(203)	(61)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	25,103	24,556
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(7,219)	(8,035)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	25,772	35,148
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	$ (7,422)	$ (8,096)