Preneed Cemetery Activities Investment Related Activities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands |
3 Months Ended | 9 Months Ended | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Sep. 30, 2016 |
Sep. 30, 2015 |
Sep. 30, 2016 |
Sep. 30, 2015 |
|
| Investment related activities [Line Items] | ||||
| Realized gains from sales of available-for-sale securities | $ 25,062 | $ 20,183 | $ 59,845 | $ 60,080 |
| Realized losses from sales of available-for-sale securities | (14,037) | (21,086) | (90,679) | (47,407) |
| Cemetery | ||||
| Investment related activities [Line Items] | ||||
| Deposits | 41,133 | 40,327 | 120,398 | 116,581 |
| Withdrawals | 39,108 | 33,260 | 105,471 | 115,930 |
| Purchases of available-for-sale securities | 119,699 | 165,025 | 490,752 | 389,219 |
| Sales of available-for-sale securities | 123,063 | 150,804 | 471,162 | 389,747 |
| Realized gains from sales of available-for-sale securities | 13,638 | 10,318 | 31,557 | 33,859 |
| Realized losses from sales of available-for-sale securities | $ (7,458) | $ (11,948) | $ (48,907) | $ (25,375) |