Cemetery Perpetual Care Trusts Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) - Cemetery Perpetual Care - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 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	$ 310,550	$ 657,627
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(4,438)	(28,188)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	415,457	344,426
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(40,147)	(60,395)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	726,007	1,002,053
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(44,585)	(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	2,953	35
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(30)	(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	2,953	3,310
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(30)	(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	0	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	1,993	1,371
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(95)	(102)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,993	19,870
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(95)	(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	1,738	5,163
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(26)	(134)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,938	4,147
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(98)	(150)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,676	9,310
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(124)	(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	22	145
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(14)	(12)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	101	360
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(4)	(19)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	123	505
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(18)	(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	206	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	474	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(75)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	680	4,029
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(78)	(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	43,842	81,624
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(2,795)	(7,793)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	21,929	14,900
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(4,516)	(3,105)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	65,771	96,524
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(7,311)	(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	0	702
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	0	(31)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	655	1,026
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(172)	(575)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	655	1,728
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(172)	(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	2,420	8,734
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(85)	(940)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	6,102	2,347
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(1,317)	(1,450)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	8,522	11,081
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(1,402)	(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	1,028	4,580
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(42)	(606)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	3,998	1,258
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(1,462)	(1,244)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	5,026	5,838
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(1,504)	(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	14,945	519,981
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(142)	(18,205)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	342,796	294,309
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(26,482)	(45,708)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	357,741	814,290
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(26,624)	(63,913)
Other Investments
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(2)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(2)
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	64,201	647,035
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(3,107)	(28,127)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	382,939	319,870
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(34,253)	(52,360)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	447,140	966,905
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(37,360)	(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	246,349	10,592
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(1,331)	(61)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	32,518	24,556
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(5,894)	(8,035)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	278,867	35,148
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(7,225)	(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	2,207	10,592
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(178)	(61)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	32,518	24,556
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(5,894)	(8,035)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	34,725	35,148
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(6,072)	$ (8,096)
Reported at net asset value | Fixed Income Commingled funds [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	244,142
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(1,153)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	244,142
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	$ (1,153)