Preneed Trust Investments (Unrealized losses on cemetery merchandise and service trust investments) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member]
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	$ 20,920	$ 42,577
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(4,391)	(6,162)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	24,080	15,322
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(6,210)	(3,482)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	45,000	57,899
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(10,601)	(9,644)
Preneed Cemetery Trust Investments [Member]
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	20,963	40,857
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(4,444)	(5,864)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	21,258	12,194
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(5,623)	(3,219)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	42,221	53,051
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(10,067)	(9,083)
Municipal Bonds [Member] | Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member]
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	139	413
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(27)	(66)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	252	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(60)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	391	413
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(87)	(66)
Municipal Bonds [Member] | Preneed Cemetery Trust Investments [Member]
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	142	395
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(28)	(63)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	232	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(55)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	374	395
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(83)	(63)
Foreign Debt [Member] | Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member]
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	2,692	3,763
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(378)	(392)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,158	416
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(593)	(319)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	4,850	4,179
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(971)	(711)
Foreign Debt [Member] | Preneed Cemetery Trust Investments [Member]
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	2,671	3,680
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(395)	(384)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,984	406
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(542)	(312)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	4,655	4,086
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(937)	(696)
Corporate Debt [Member] | Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member]
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	5,470	15,929
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(825)	(3,294)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	8,783	3,364
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(2,587)	(1,417)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	14,253	19,293
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(3,412)	(4,711)
Corporate Debt [Member] | Preneed Cemetery Trust Investments [Member]
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	5,449	14,468
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(853)	(2,992)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	8,034	3,056
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(2,385)	(1,287)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	13,483	17,524
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(3,238)	(4,279)
Preferred Stock [Member] | Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member]
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	6,384	10,623
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(537)	(451)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	8,449	5,338
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(918)	(463)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	14,833	15,961
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(1,455)	(914)
Preferred Stock [Member] | Preneed Cemetery Trust Investments [Member]
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	6,613	10,285
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(566)	(436)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	7,730	5,168
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(840)	(448)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	14,343	15,453
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(1,406)	(884)
Common Stock [Member] | Preneed Cemetery Trust Investments [Member]
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	6,088	12,029
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(2,602)	(1,989)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	3,278	3,564
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(1,801)	(1,172)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	9,366	15,593
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(4,403)	(3,161)
Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Preneed Funeral Trust Investments [Member]
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	102	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(3)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	15	272
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(1)	(4)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	117	272
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	$ (4)	$ (4)