Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Textuals (Details) - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Prior Period Reclassification Adjustment	$ 5,500
Intangible Fair Value Inputs, Royalty Savings Rate, Low	0.010
Required percentage of sales price	10.00%
Amortization of cemetery property	$ 66,745	$ 62,407	$ 60,439
Depreciation	$ 147,233	$ 141,456	$ 140,002
Goodwill Reporting Unit Fair Value Inputs, Growth Rate, Low End of the Range	1.20%
Goodwill Reporting Unit Fair Value Inputs, Growth Rate, High End of the Range	5.70%
Goodwill Reporting Unit Fair Value Inputs, Discount Rate	6.50%
Intangible Fair Value Inputs, Royalty Savings Rate	0.040
Intangibles Fair Value Inputs, Discount Rate	6.70%
Retirement of treasury shares	0	0	0
Funeral [Member]
Amortization of cemetery property	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0
Depreciation	$ 106,251	102,937	101,801
Goodwill Reporting Unit Fair Value Inputs, Terminal Growth Rate	2.50%
Intangibles Fair Value Inputs, Terminal Growth Rate	2.50%
Cemetery [Member]
Amortization of cemetery property	$ 66,745	62,407	60,439
Depreciation	$ 31,432	$ 29,783	$ 28,745
Goodwill Reporting Unit Fair Value Inputs, Terminal Growth Rate	2.90%
Intangibles Fair Value Inputs, Terminal Growth Rate	2.90%
Treasury Stock [Member]
Retirement of treasury shares	7,901	7,969	10,956
Minimum [Member]
Funeral home lease life	1 year
Transportation equipment lease life	1 year
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Useful Life	2 years
Minimum [Member] | Building and Building Improvements [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Estimated Useful Lives	P7Y
Minimum [Member] | Equipment [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Estimated Useful Lives	P3Y
Maximum [Member]
Funeral home lease life	40 years
Transportation equipment lease life	5 years
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Useful Life	40 years
Maximum [Member] | Building and Building Improvements [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Estimated Useful Lives	P40Y
Maximum [Member] | Equipment [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Estimated Useful Lives	P8Y
Maximum [Member] | Leasehold Improvements [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Estimated Useful Lives	P10Y
Noncompete Agreements [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Useful Life	2 years
Noncompete Agreements [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Useful Life	20 years