Deferred Preneed Funeral and Cemetery Receipts Held in Trust and Care Trusts' Corpus Level 3 (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2016

Deferred Preneed Funeral and Cemetery Receipts Held in Trust and Care Trusts' Corpus [Abstract]

Schedule of Deferred Preneed Funeral and Cemetery Receitps Held in Trust Components [Table Text Block]

The components of Deferred preneed receipts held in trust in our Consolidated Balance Sheet at December 31, 2016 and 2015 are detailed below.

	December 31, 2016										December 31, 2015
	Preneed Funeral				Preneed Cemetery			Total			Preneed Funeral				Preneed Cemetery			Total
				(In thousands)										(In thousands)
Trust investments	$	1,546,517			$	1,558,229		$	3,104,746		$	1,515,113			$	1,462,499		$	2,977,612
Accrued trust operating payables and other	(589		)		(361		)	(950		)	(1,381		)		(2,845		)	(4,226		)
Deferred preneed receipts held in trust	$	1,545,928			$	1,557,868		$	3,103,796		$	1,513,732			$	1,459,654		$	2,973,386

Schedule of Care Trust Corpus' Components [Table Text Block]

The components of Care trusts’ corpus in our Consolidated Balance Sheet are detailed below.

	December 31, 2016		December 31, 2015
	(In thousands)
Cemetery perpetual care trust investments	$	1,407,465	$	1,319,427
Accrued trust operating payables and other	778		137
Care trusts’ corpus	$	1,408,243	$	1,319,564

Schedule of Other Nonoperating Income, by Component [Table Text Block]

The components of Other (expense) income, net in our Consolidated Statement of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2016, 2015, and 2014 are detailed below. See Notes 3, 4, and 5 for further discussion of the amounts related to our funeral, cemetery, and cemetery perpetual care trusts.

	Year Ended December 31, 2016
	Funeral Trusts			Cemetery Trusts			Cemetery Perpetual Care Trusts			Other, Net			Total
							(In thousands)
Realized gains	$	38,704		$	53,253		$	8,327		$	—		$	100,284
Realized losses	(46,432		)	(60,795		)	(6,579		)	—			(113,806		)
Impairment charges	(4,625		)	(5,872		)	(1,360		)	—			(11,857		)
Interest, dividend, and other ordinary income	20,299			17,428			56,594			—			94,321
Trust expenses and income taxes	(20,190		)	(22,137		)	(22,801		)	—			(65,128		)
Net trust investment (losses) income	(12,244		)	(18,123		)	34,181			—			3,814
Reclassification to deferred preneed receipts held in trust and care trusts’ corpus	12,244			18,123			(34,181		)	—			(3,814		)
Other expense, net	—			—			—			(631		)	(631		)
Total other expense, net	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	(631	)	$	(631	)

	Year Ended December 31, 2015
	Funeral Trusts			Cemetery Trusts			Cemetery Perpetual Care Trusts			Other, Net			Total
	(In thousands)
Realized gains	$	42,034		$	51,510		$	6,933		$	—		$	100,477
Realized losses	(31,403		)	(40,092		)	(7,708		)	—			(79,203		)
Impairment charges	(3,519		)	(4,345		)	(1,812		)	—			(9,676		)
Interest, dividend, and other ordinary income	25,952			27,089			56,253			—			109,294
Trust expenses and income taxes	(21,852		)	(31,472		)	(32,643		)	—			(85,967		)
Net trust investment income	11,212			2,690			21,023			—			34,925
Reclassification to deferred preneed receipts held in trust and care trusts’ corpus	(11,212		)	(2,690		)	(21,023		)	—			(34,925		)
Other expense, net	—			—			—			(132		)	(132		)
Total other expense, net	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	(132	)	$	(132	)

	Year Ended December 31, 2014
	Funeral Trusts			Cemetery Trusts			Cemetery Perpetual Care Trusts			Other, Net		Total
							(In thousands)
Realized gains	$	168,567		$	271,507		$	134,259		$	—	$	574,333
Realized losses	(113,748		)	(138,473		)	(51,093		)	—		(303,314		)
Impairment charges	(41,846		)	(60,040		)	(8,072		)	—		(109,958		)
Interest, dividend, and other ordinary income	22,668			17,597			52,126			—		92,391
Trust expenses and income taxes	(19,590		)	(20,833		)	(34,243		)	—		(74,666		)
Net trust investment income	16,051			69,758			92,977			—		178,786
Reclassification to deferred preneed receipts held in trust and care trusts’ corpus	(16,051		)	(69,758		)	(92,977		)	—		(178,786		)
Other income, net	—			—			—			1,780		1,780
Total other income, net	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	1,780	$	1,780