Cemetery Perpetual Care Trust Investments (Unrealized losses on perpetual care trust investments) (Details) - Perpetual Care Trust Invesments [Member] - USD ($)	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Impairment charge, other than temporary decline in fair value of investments	$ 100,000	$ 0	$ 500,000	$ 500,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	10,778,000		10,778,000		$ 27,763,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(1,129,000)		(1,129,000)		(3,995,000)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	15,617,000		15,617,000		8,245,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(2,880,000)		(2,880,000)		(2,174,000)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	26,395,000		26,395,000		36,008,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(4,009,000)		(4,009,000)		(6,169,000)
Municipal Bonds [Member]
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value					280,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss					(45,000)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value					0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss					0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value					280,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss					(45,000)
Foreign Debt [Member]
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	1,632,000		1,632,000		2,541,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(91,000)		(91,000)		(265,000)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,990,000		1,990,000		281,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(406,000)		(406,000)		(215,000)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,622,000		3,622,000		2,822,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(497,000)		(497,000)		(480,000)
Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	4,948,000		4,948,000		10,463,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(148,000)		(148,000)		(2,164,000)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	3,529,000		3,529,000		2,210,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(911,000)		(911,000)		(931,000)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	8,477,000		8,477,000		12,673,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(1,059,000)		(1,059,000)		(3,095,000)
Common Stock [Member]
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	2,932,000		2,932,000		7,379,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(872,000)		(872,000)		(1,220,000)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,561,000		1,561,000		2,186,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(1,078,000)		(1,078,000)		(719,000)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	4,493,000		4,493,000		9,565,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(1,950,000)		(1,950,000)		(1,939,000)
Preferred Stock [Member]
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	1,126,000		1,126,000		7,100,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(8,000)		(8,000)		(301,000)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	8,537,000		8,537,000		3,568,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(485,000)		(485,000)		(309,000)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	9,663,000		9,663,000		10,668,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(493,000)		(493,000)		$ (610,000)
Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	140,000		140,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(10,000)		(10,000)
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	140,000		140,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	$ (10,000)		$ (10,000)

Amount of accumulated unrealized loss on investments in debt and equity securities classified as available-for-sale that have been in a continuous loss position for twelve months or longer.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 320
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 6
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