Cemetery Perpetual Care Trusts Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) - Cemetery Perpetual Care - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	$ 574,345	$ 591,618
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(13,310)	(16,270)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	396,399	411,564
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(29,949)	(34,277)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	970,744	1,003,182
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(43,259)	(50,547)
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	1,501	66
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(14)	(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,943	1,961
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(128)	(113)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,444	2,027
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(142)	(114)
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	628	397
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(13)	(7)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,453	1,866
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(94)	(94)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	2,081	2,263
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(107)	(101)
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	203	303
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(1)	(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	203	303
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(1)	(1)
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	41	28
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(10)	(22)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	10	101
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(5)	(6)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	51	129
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(15)	(28)
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	367	846
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(6)	(36)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	416	417
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(83)	(81)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	783	1,263
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(89)	(117)
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	28,989	34,844
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(2,332)	(1,339)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	10,246	12,974
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(2,567)	(998)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	39,235	47,818
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(4,899)	(2,337)
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	129	78
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(24)	(47)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	757	558
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(66)	(61)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	886	636
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(90)	(108)
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	4,547	4,177
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(66)	(508)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,663	5,715
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(870)	(1,728)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	7,210	9,892
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(936)	(2,236)
Equity Funds
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	399	877
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(27)	(17)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,941	2,899
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(231)	(395)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	2,340	3,776
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(258)	(412)
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	266,649	263,231
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(1,819)	(4,678)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	342,090	348,623
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(19,051)	(24,319)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	608,739	611,854
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(20,870)	(28,997)
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	270,892	286,771
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(8,998)	(9,614)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	34,880	36,450
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(6,854)	(6,482)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	305,772	323,221
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(15,852)	(16,096)
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	924	21,426
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(31)	(268)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	34,880	33,519
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(6,854)	(6,442)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	35,804	54,945
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(6,885)	(6,710)
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	269,968	265,345
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(8,967)	(9,346)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	2,931
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	(40)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	269,968	268,276
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(8,967)	(9,386)
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	303,453	304,847
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(4,312)	(6,656)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	361,519	375,114
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(23,095)	(27,795)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	664,972	679,961
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	$ (27,407)	$ (34,451)