Equity Components of Accumulated Other Comrehensive income (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Treasury Stock, Shares, Acquired	7,542,812
Treasury Stock, Value, Acquired, Par Value Method		$ 193,000
Treasury Stock Acquired, Average Cost Per Share		$ 25.59
Accumulated other comprehensive income [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period		$ 6,164	$ 59,414
Activity		129,004	(42,913)
Change in net unrealized gains associated with available-for-sale securities of the trusts, net of taxes		147,017	(110,016)
Reclassification of net unrealized gain activity attributable to the Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust and Care trusts’ corpus’, net of taxes		(147,017)	110,016
Balance at end of period	$ 24,274	24,274	16,501
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Accumulated other comprehensive income [Roll Forward]
Activity		18,110
Foreign Currency Gain (Loss)
Accumulated other comprehensive income [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period		6,164	59,414
Activity		18,110
Balance at end of period	24,274	24,274	16,501
Accumulated Net Unrealized Investment Gain (Loss)
Accumulated other comprehensive income [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period		0	0
Change in net unrealized gains associated with available-for-sale securities of the trusts, net of taxes		147,017	(110,016)
Reclassification of net unrealized gain activity attributable to the Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust and Care trusts’ corpus’, net of taxes		(147,017)	110,016
Balance at end of period	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0