Carriage Services (CSV) 10-K 23 Feb 16 2015 FY Annual report Financial data

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Feb. 19, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	CARRIAGE SERVICES INC
Entity Central Index Key	1,016,281
Document Type	10-K
Document Period End Date	Dec. 31, 2015
Amendment Flag	false
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2,015
Document Fiscal Period Focus	FY
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	No
Entity Voluntary Filers	No
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Accelerated Filer
Entity Public Float			$ 389.3
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		16,633,557

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 535	$ 413
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for bad debts of $1,127 in 2014 and $1,054 in 2015	18,181	19,264
Inventories	5,654	5,294
Prepaid expenses	4,684	4,590
Other current assets	4,707	7,144
Total current assets	33,761	36,705
Preneed cemetery trust investments	63,291	71,972
Preneed funeral trust investments	85,553	97,607
Preneed receivables, net of allowance for bad debts of $2,339 in 2014 and $2,042 in 2015	27,998	26,284
Receivables from preneed trusts, net of allowance for contract cancellations of $396 in 2014 and $419 in 2015	13,544	12,809
Property, plant and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $95,249 in 2014 and $103,306 in 2015	214,874	186,211
Cemetery property, net of accumulated amortization of $26,875 in 2014 and $30,289 in 2015	75,597	75,564
Goodwill	264,416	257,442
Deferred charges and other non-current assets	15,192	14,264
Cemetery perpetual care trust investments	43,127	48,670
Total assets	837,353	827,528
Current liabilities:
Current portion of long-term debt and capital lease obligations	12,236	9,838
Accounts payable	7,917	6,472
Other liabilities	524	1,437
Accrued liabilities	16,541	15,203
Total current liabilities	37,218	32,950
Long-term debt, net of current portion	103,854	111,887
Revolving credit facility	92,600	40,500
Convertible subordinated notes due 2021	117,996	114,542
Obligations under capital leases, net of current portion	2,875	3,098
Deferred preneed cemetery revenue	56,721	56,875
Deferred preneed funeral revenue	31,748	31,265
Deferred tax liability	39,956	36,414
Other long-term liabilities	5,531	2,401
Deferred preneed cemetery receipts held in trust	63,291	71,972
Deferred preneed funeral receipts held in trust	85,553	97,607
Care trusts’ corpus	42,416	48,142
Total liabilities	$ 679,759	$ 647,653
Commitments and contingencies:
Stockholders’ equity:
Common stock, $.01 par value; 80,000,000 shares authorized; 22,434,609 and 22,497,873 issued as of December 31, 2014 and 2015, respectively	$ 225	$ 224
Additional paid-in capital	214,250	212,386
Retained earnings (deficit)	3,385	(17,468)
Treasury stock, at cost; 3,921,651 shares at December 31, 2014 and 5,849,316 shares at December 31, 2015	(60,266)	(15,267)
Total stockholders’ equity	157,594	179,875
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$ 837,353	$ 827,528

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Pa

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Accounts receivable, allowance for bad debts	$ 1,054	$ 1,127
Preneed receivables, allowance for bad debts	2,042	2,339
Receivables from preneed trusts, allowance for bad debts	419	396
Accumulated depreciation of property, plant and equipment	103,306	95,249
Accumulated amortization of cemetery property	$ 30,289	$ 26,875
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, shares authorized (in shares)	80,000,000	80,000,000
Common stock, shares issued (in shares)	22,497,873	22,434,609
Treasury stock, shares (in shares)	5,849,316	3,921,651

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPER

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Revenues:
Revenues	$ 242,502	$ 226,124	$ 213,074
Field costs and expenses:
Total field costs and expenses	164,994	156,116	148,789
Depreciation and amortization	12,034	10,545	10,179
Regional and unallocated funeral and cemetery costs	11,997	9,806	10,013
Gross profit	77,508	70,008	64,285
Corporate costs and expenses:
General, administrative and other	27,114	28,915	25,923
Home office depreciation and amortization	1,746	1,378	1,456
Total corporate costs and expenses	28,860	30,293	27,379
Operating income	48,648	39,715	36,906
Interest expense	(10,559)	(10,308)	(12,622)
Accretion of discount on convertible subordinated notes	(3,454)	(2,452)	0
Loss on early extinguishment of debt and other costs	0	(1,042)	0
Loss on redemption of convertible junior subordinated debentures	0	(3,779)	0
Other, net	(45)	567	81
Total interest and other, net	(14,058)	(17,014)	(12,541)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	34,590	22,701	24,365
Provision for income taxes	(13,737)	(8,995)	(9,245)
Income tax benefit related to uncertain tax positions	0	1,740	0
Net provision for income taxes	(13,737)	(7,255)	(9,245)
Net income from continuing operations	20,853	15,446	15,120
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	392	4,176
Net income	20,853	15,838	19,296
Preferred stock dividend	0	0	4
Net income	$ 20,853	$ 15,838	$ 19,292
Basic earnings per common share:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$ 1.16	$ 0.84	$ 0.83
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	0	0.02	0.23
Basic earnings per common share (in dollars per share)	1.16	0.86	1.06
Diluted earnings per common share:
Continuing operations (in dollars per share)	1.12	0.83	0.82
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	0	0.02	0.18
Diluted earnings per common share (in dollars per share)	1.12	0.85	1
Dividends declared per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.10	$ 0.10	$ 0.10
Weighted average number of common and common equivalent shares outstanding:
Basic (in shares)	17,791	18,108	17,826
Diluted (in shares)	18,313	18,257	22,393
Funeral
Revenues:
Revenues	$ 185,818	$ 173,735	$ 163,082
Field costs and expenses:
Total field costs and expenses	109,166	104,913	99,657
Corporate costs and expenses:
Interest expense	(577)	(316)	(323)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	58,404	53,385	48,206
Cemetery
Revenues:
Revenues	56,684	52,389	49,992
Field costs and expenses:
Total field costs and expenses	31,797	30,852	28,940
Corporate costs and expenses:
Interest expense	(8)	(17)	(36)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	$ 17,492	$ 15,180	$ 14,679

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHAN

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Total	Common stock	Additional Paid-in Capital	Accumulated Deficit	Treasury Stock	Performance Shares	Performance SharesAdditional Paid-in Capital
Beginning balance, shares outstanding at Dec. 31, 2012		18,156,000
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2012	$ 134,818	$ 221	$ 202,462	$ (52,598)	$ (15,267)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net Income (Loss)	19,292			19,292
Isuuance of common stock, shares		114,000
Issuance of common stock	$ 1,394	$ 1	1,393
Exercise of stock options, shares	45,000	45,000
Exercise of stock options	$ 0	$ 0	0
Issuance of restricted common stock, shares		63,000
Issuance of restricted common stock	1	$ 1	0
Cancellation and retirement of restricted common stock, shares		(117,000)
Cancellation and retirement of restricted common stock	(1,631)	$ (1)	(1,630)
Accelerated vesting of restricted common stock and options	667		667
Amortization of restricted common stock	1,340		1,340
Stock-based compensation expense	1,296		1,296
Dividends on common stock	(1,817)		(1,817)
Excess tax benefit on equity compensation	613		613
Ending balance, shares outstanding at Dec. 31, 2013		18,261,000
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2013	155,973	$ 222	204,324	(33,306)	(15,267)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net Income (Loss)	15,838			15,838
Isuuance of common stock, shares		70,000
Issuance of common stock	$ 1,110	$ 0	1,110
Exercise of stock options, shares	68,000	68,000
Exercise of stock options	$ 363	$ 0	363
Issuance of restricted common stock, shares		200,000
Issuance of restricted common stock	0	$ 2	(2)
Cancellation and retirement of restricted common stock, shares		(87,000)
Cancellation and retirement of restricted common stock	(1,357)	$ 0	(1,357)
Accelerated vesting of restricted common stock and options	27		27
Amortization of restricted common stock	1,806		1,806
Stock-based compensation expense	2,616		2,616			$ (16,624)	$ (16,624)
Dividends on common stock	(1,840)		(1,840)
Excess tax benefit on equity compensation	3,990		3,990
Convertible subordinated notes due 2021	17,973		17,973
Ending balance, shares outstanding at Dec. 31, 2014		18,512,000
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2014	179,875	$ 224	212,386	(17,468)	(15,267)
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net Income (Loss)	20,853			20,853
Isuuance of common stock, shares		53,000
Issuance of common stock	$ 982	$ 1	981
Exercise of stock options, shares	110,000	43,000
Exercise of stock options	$ 0	$ 0	0
Issuance of restricted common stock, shares		43,000
Issuance of restricted common stock	51	$ 1	50
Cancellation and retirement of restricted common stock, shares		(75,000)
Cancellation and retirement of restricted common stock	(1,608)	$ (1)	(1,607)
Amortization of restricted common stock	1,567		1,567
Stock-based compensation expense	2,628		2,628
Dividends on common stock	(1,819)		(1,819)
Excess tax benefit on equity compensation	$ 64		64
Treasury stock acquired, shares	(1,927,665)	(1,928,000)
Dividends on common stock	$ (44,999)				(44,999)
Ending balance, shares outstanding at Dec. 31, 2015		16,648,000
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2015	$ 157,594	$ 225	$ 214,250	$ 3,385	$ (60,266)

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net income	$ 20,853	$ 15,838	$ 19,296
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	13,780	11,945	11,748
Gain on sale of businesses and purchase of other assets	(49)	(2,150)	(6,091)
Impairment of goodwill	0	1,180	100
Loss on early extinguishment of debt and other costs	0	1,042	0
Amortization of deferred financing costs	921	908	362
Accretion of discount on convertible subordinated notes	3,454	2,452	0
Provision for losses on accounts receivable	1,679	2,877	2,005
Stock-based compensation expense	4,444	4,622	3,583
Deferred income tax expense	3,035	5,295	12,572
Loss on redemption of convertible junior subordinated debentures	0	2,932	0
Other	0	0	85
Changes in operating assets and liabilities that provided (required) cash:
Accounts and preneed receivables	(2,310)	(4,146)	(3,329)
Inventories and other current assets	2,582	(2,590)	(337)
Deferred charges and other	150	(165)	(35)
Preneed funeral and cemetery trust investments	25,543	(203)	(1,415)
Accounts payable	1,445	(562)	1,142
Accrued and other liabilities	509	(1,529)	(3,294)
Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery revenue	329	303	1,187
Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust	(26,461)	(1,484)	2,266
Net cash provided by operating activities	49,904	36,565	39,845
Cash flows from investing activities:
Acquisitions and land for new construction	(9,725)	(57,874)	(19,701)
Purchase of land and buildings previously leased	(6,080)	(7,600)	0
Net proceeds from sale of businesses and other assets	65	2,192	10,184
Capital expenditures	(29,744)	(16,075)	(10,695)
Net cash used in investing activities	(45,484)	(79,357)	(20,212)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Net (payments) borrowings on the revolving credit facility	52,100	3,600	(7,800)
Net borrowings (payments) on the term loan	(9,375)	3,313	0
Proceeds from the issuance of convertible subordinated notes	0	143,750	0
Payment of debt issuance costs related to the convertible subordinated notes	0	(4,650)	0
Payments on long-term debt and obligations under capital leases	(1,014)	(840)	(11,219)
Redemption of convertible junior subordinated debentures	0	(89,748)	0
Payments for performance-based stock awards	0	(16,150)	0
Proceeds from the exercise of stock options and employee stock purchase plan contributions	758	1,228	894
Dividends on common stock	(1,819)	(1,840)	(1,817)
Dividends on redeemable preferred stock	0	0	(4)
Payment of loan origination costs	(13)	(825)	(621)
Excess tax benefit of equity compensation	64	3,990	613
Purchase of treasury stock	(44,999)	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(4,298)	41,828	(19,954)
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	122	(964)	(321)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year	413	1,377	1,698
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year	$ 535	$ 413	$ 1,377

Basis of Presentation and Summa

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES	BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES The Company Carriage Services, Inc. (“Carriage,” the “Company,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is a leading provider of deathcare services and merchandise in the United States. At December 31, 2015 , we operated 167 funeral homes in 27 states and 32 cemeteries in 11 states. Our operations are reported in two business segments: Funeral Home Operations and Cemetery Operations. Funeral homes are principally service businesses that provide funeral services (traditional burial and cremation) and sell related merchandise, such as caskets and urns. Cemeteries are primarily a sales business providing interment rights (grave sites and mausoleums) and related merchandise, such as markers and memorials. Principles of Consolidation The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements include the Company and its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. Funeral and Cemetery Operations We record the revenue from sales of funeral and cemetery merchandise and services when the merchandise is delivered or the service is performed. Sales of cemetery interment rights are recorded as revenue in accordance with the retail land sales provisions for accounting for sales of real estate. This method provides for the recognition of revenue in the period in which the customer’s cumulative payments exceed 10% of the contract price related to the interment right. Costs related to the sales of interment rights, which include real property and other costs related to cemetery development activities, are charged to operations using the specific identification method in the period in which the sale of the interment right is recognized as revenue. Sales taxes collected are recognized on a net basis in our Consolidated Financial Statements. Allowances for bad debts and customer cancellations are provided at the date that the sale is recognized as revenue and are based on our historical experience and the current economic environment. We also monitor changes in delinquency rates and provide additional bad debt and cancellation reserves when warranted. When preneed sales of funeral services and merchandise are funded through third-party insurance policies, we earn a commission on the sale of the policies. Insurance commissions are recognized as revenues at the point at which the commission is no longer subject to refund, which is typically one year after the policy is issued. Preneed selling costs consist of sales commissions that we pay our sales counselors and other direct related costs of originating preneed sales contracts. These costs are expensed as incurred. Accounts receivable included approximately $10.0 million and $8.2 million of funeral receivables at December 31, 2014 and 2015 , respectively, and $9.1 million and $9.7 million of cemetery receivables at December 31, 2014 and 2015 , respectively. For 2014 and 2015 , accounts receivable also include minor amounts of other receivables. Non-current preneed receivables represent the payments expected to be received beyond one year from the balance sheet date. Non-current preneed receivables consisted of approximately $7.4 million and $7.3 million of funeral receivables and $18.9 million and $20.7 million of cemetery receivables at December 31, 2014 and 2015 , respectively. Bad debt expense from our accounts receivables totaled approximately $2.0 million , $2.9 million and $1.7 million for 2013 , 2014 and 2015 , respectively. Preneed Contracts We sell interment rights, merchandise and services prior to the time of need, which is referred to as preneed. In many instances the customer pays for the preneed contract over a period of time. Cash proceeds from preneed sales less amounts that we may retain under state regulations are deposited to a trust or used to purchase a third-party insurance policy. The principal and accumulated earnings of the trusts are generally withdrawn at maturity (death) or cancellation. The cumulative trust income earned and the increases in insurance benefits on the insurance products are deferred until the service is performed. The customer receivables and amounts deposited in trusts that we control are primarily included in the non-current asset section of our Consolidated Balance Sheets. The preneed funeral contracts secured by third party insurance policies are not recorded as assets or liabilities of the Company. In the opinion of management, the proceeds from the trust funds and the insurance policies at the time the preneed contracts mature will exceed the estimated future costs to perform services and provide products under such arrangements. The types of securities in which the trusts may invest are regulated by state agencies. Preneed Funeral and Cemetery Trust Funds Our preneed and perpetual care trust funds are reported in accordance with the principles of consolidating Variable Interest Entities (“VIE’s”). In the case of preneed trusts, the customers are the legal beneficiaries. In the case of perpetual care trusts, we do not have a right to access the corpus in the perpetual care trusts. We have recognized financial interests of third parties in the trust funds in our financial statements as Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust and Care trusts’ corpus . The investments of such trust funds are classified as available-for-sale and are reported at fair market value; therefore, the unrealized gains and losses, as well as accumulated and undistributed income and realized gains and losses are recorded to Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust and Care trusts’ corpus on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Our future obligations to deliver merchandise and services are reported at estimated settlement amounts. Preneed funeral and cemetery trust investments are reduced by the trust investment earnings that we have been allowed to withdraw in certain states prior to maturity. These earnings, along with preneed contract collections not required to be placed in trust, are recorded in Deferred preneed funeral revenue and Deferred preneed cemetery revenue until the service is performed or the merchandise is delivered. In accordance with respective state laws, we are required to deposit a specified amount into perpetual and memorial care trust funds for each interment/entombment right and certain memorials sold. Income from the trust funds is distributed to us and used to provide for the care and maintenance of the cemeteries and mausoleums. Such trust fund income is recognized as revenue when realized by the trust and distributable to us. We are restricted from withdrawing any of the principal balances of these funds. An enterprise is required to perform an analysis to determine whether the enterprise’s variable interest(s) give it a controlling financial interest in a VIE. This analysis identifies the primary beneficiary of a VIE as the enterprise that has both the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance and the obligation to absorb losses of the entity that could potentially be significant to the VIE or the right to receive benefits from the entity that could potentially be significant to the VIE. Our analysis continues to support our position as the primary beneficiary in the majority of our funeral and cemetery trust funds. Trust management fees are earned by us for investment management and advisory services that are provided by our wholly-owned registered investment advisor (“CSV RIA”). As of December 31, 2015 , CSV RIA provided these services to two institutions, which have custody of 79% of our trust assets, for a fee based on the market value of trust assets. Under state trust laws, we are allowed to charge the trust a fee for advising on the investment of the trust assets and these fees are recognized as income in the period in which services are provided. We determine whether or not the assets in the preneed trusts have an other-than-temporary impairment on a security-by-security basis. This assessment is made based upon a number of criteria including the length of time a security has been in a loss position, changes in market conditions and concerns related to the specific issuer. If a loss is considered to be other-than-temporary, the cost basis of the security is adjusted downward to its fair market value. Any reduction in the cost basis of the investment due to an other-than-temporary impairment is likewise recorded as a reduction in Deferred preneed cemetery receipts held in trust or Deferred preneed funeral receipts held in trust . There will be no impact on earnings unless and until such time that the investment is withdrawn from the trust in accordance with state regulations at an amount that is less than its original basis. Cash and Cash Equivalents We consider all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents. Inventory Inventory consists primarily of caskets, outer burial containers and cemetery monuments and markers and is recorded at the lower of its cost basis (determined by the specific identification method) or net realizable value. Property, Plant and Equipment Property, plant and equipment (including equipment under capital leases) are stated at cost. The costs of ordinary maintenance and repairs are charged to operations as incurred, while renewals and betterments are capitalized. Depreciation of property, plant and equipment (including equipment under capital leases) is computed based on the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives of the assets: Years Buildings and improvements 15 to 40 Furniture and fixtures 5 to 10 Machinery and equipment 3 to 15 Automobiles 5 to 7 Property, plant and equipment was comprised of the following at December 31, 2014 and 2015 : December 31, 2014 December 31, 2015 (in thousands) Land $ 66,957 $ 72,697 Buildings and improvements 148,483 173,540 Furniture, equipment and automobiles 66,020 71,943 Property, plant and equipment, at cost 281,460 318,180 Less: accumulated depreciation (95,249 ) (103,306 ) Property, plant and equipment, net $ 186,211 $ 214,874 During 2013 , 2014 and 2015 , we recorded approximately $8.8 million, $9.2 million and $10.4 million, respectively, of depreciation expense against operating income. Long-lived assets, such as property, plant and equipment subject to depreciation and amortization, are reviewed for impairment at least annually or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable in accordance with the Property, Plant and Equipment Topic of the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 360. This guidance requires that long-lived assets to be held and used are reported at the lower of their carrying amount or fair value. We assess long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value may be greater than the fair value. We evaluate our long-lived assets for impairment when a funeral home business has negative earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) for four consecutive years and if there has been a decline in EBITDA for four consecutive years. For our cemetery business, we analyze the long-lived assets for impairment if the business has a negative operating margin and a decline in operating margin over a four year period. We review our long-lived assets deemed held-for-sale to the point of recoverability. Assets to be disposed of and assets not expected to provide any future service potential are recorded at the lower of their carrying amount or fair value less estimated cost to sell. If we determine that the carrying value is not recoverable from the proceeds of the sale, we record an impairment at that time. For the year ended December 31, 2015, no impairments were identified on our long-lived assets. Income Taxes We and our subsidiaries file a consolidated United States Federal income tax return, separate income tax returns in 14 states in which we operate and combined or unitary income tax returns in 13 states in which we operate. We record deferred taxes for temporary differences between the tax basis and financial reporting basis of assets and liabilities. We record a valuation allowance to reflect the estimated amount of deferred tax assets for which realization is uncertain. Management reviews the valuation allowance at the end of each quarter and makes adjustments if it is determined that it is more likely than not that the tax benefits will be realized. We analyze tax benefits for uncertain tax positions and how they are to be recognized, measured and derecognized in financial statements; provide certain disclosures of uncertain tax matters; and specify how reserves for uncertain tax positions should be classified on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. We have reviewed our income tax positions and identified certain tax deductions, primarily related to business acquisitions that are not certain. Our policy with respect to potential penalties and interest is to record them as “Other” expense and “Interest” expense, respectively. The entire balance of unrecognized tax benefits, if recognized, would affect our effective tax rate. On August 1, 2014, we received notification that the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) completed its examination of our tax year ended December 31, 2011. As a result, we recognized a tax benefit of $1.7 million which reduced our effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2014 . Additionally, we recognized a credit to interest expense of $0.6 million related to the settled portion of the uncertain tax position. We do not anticipate a material change in our unrecognized tax benefits during the next twelve months. See Note 17 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included herein for additional information concerning our income taxes. Stock Plans and Stock-Based Compensation We have stock-based employee and director compensation plans under which we may grant restricted stock, stock options, performance awards and our employee stock purchase plan under which stock may be purchased. We recognize compensation expense in an amount equal to the fair value of the share-based awards expected to vest over the requisite service period. Fair value is determined on the date of the grant. The fair value of options or awards containing options is determined using the Black-Scholes valuation model. The fair value of the performance awards is determined using a Monte-Carlo simulation pricing model. See Note 18 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included herein for additional information on our stock-based compensation plans. Computation of Earnings Per Common Share Basic earnings per share is computed using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share is computed using the weighted average number of common and dilutive common equivalent shares outstanding during the period. Dilutive common equivalent shares consist of stock options, convertible junior subordinated debentures and our Convertible Notes. Share-based awards that contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents, whether paid or unpaid, are recognized as participating securities and included in the computation of both basic and diluted earnings per share. Our grants of restricted stock awards to our employees and directors are considered participating securities, and we have prepared our earnings per share calculations attributable to common stockholders to exclude outstanding unvested restricted stock awards, using the two-class method, in both the basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding calculation. The fully diluted weighted average shares outstanding for the year ended December 31, 2015 , and the corresponding calculation of fully diluted earnings per share, included approximately 0.3 million shares that would have been issued upon the conversion of our Convertible Notes as a result of the application of the if-converted method prescribed by the FASB ASC 260. There were no shares for the year ended December 31, 2014 that would have been issued upon conversion under the if-converted method for our Convertible Notes. The fully diluted weighted average shares outstanding for the year ended December 31, 2013 , and the corresponding calculation of fully diluted earnings per share, included approximately 4.4 million shares that would have been issued upon conversion of our convertible junior subordinated debentures as a result of the application of the if-converted method prescribed by the FASB ASC 260. The convertible junior subordinated debentures were redeemed in March and April 2014. As a result, there was no impact on our calculation of fully diluted earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2015 . See Note 20 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included herein for the computation of per share earnings for the fiscal years ended December 31, 2013 , 2014 and 2015 . Fair Value Measurements We measure the available-for-sale securities held by our funeral merchandise and service, cemetery merchandise and service, and cemetery perpetual care trusts at fair value on a recurring basis in accordance with the Fair Value Measurements Topic of the ASC. This guidance defines fair value as the price that would be received in the sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date for items that are recognized or disclosed at fair value in the financial statements on a recurring basis (at least annually). The guidance establishes a three-level valuation hierarchy for disclosure of fair value measurements. The valuation hierarchy is based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability as of the measurement date. The three levels are defined as follows: • Level 1 — inputs to the valuation methodology are quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets; • Level 2 — inputs to the valuation methodology include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, and inputs that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the financial instrument; and • Level 3 — inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement. We disclose the extent to which fair value is used to measure financial assets and liabilities, the inputs utilized in calculating valuation measurements, and the effect of the measurement of significant unobservable inputs on earnings, or changes in net assets, as of the measurement date. The fair value disclosures of transfers in and out of Levels 1 and 2 and the gross presentation of purchases, sales, issuances and settlements in the Level 3 reconciliation of the three-tier fair value hierarchy are also presented in Notes 6 and 10 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included herein. We currently do not have any assets that have fair values determined by Level 3 inputs and no liabilities measured at fair value. We have not elected to measure any additional financial instruments and certain other items at fair value that are not currently required to be measured at fair value. To determine the fair value of assets and liabilities in an environment where the volume and level of activity for the asset or liability have significantly decreased, the exit price is used as the fair value measurement. For the year ended December 31, 2015 , we did not incur significant decreases in the volume or level of activity of any asset or liability. We consider an impairment of debt and equity securities other-than-temporary unless (a) we have the ability and intent to hold an investment and (b) evidence indicating the cost of the investment is recoverable before we are more likely than not required to sell the investment. If an impairment is indicated, then an adjustment is made to reduce the carrying amount to fair value. For the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2015 , we recorded impairment charges of $0.4 million and $1.8 million , respectively, for other-than-temporary declines in fair value related to unrealized losses on certain investments. In the ordinary course of business, we are typically exposed to a variety of market risks. Currently, these are primarily related to changes in fair market values related to outstanding debts and changes in the values of securities associated with the preneed and perpetual care trusts. Management is actively involved in monitoring exposure to market risk and developing and utilizing risk management techniques when appropriate and when available for a reasonable price. Additional required disclosures are provided in Notes 6, 10 and 11 to the Consolidated Financial Statements herein. Business Combinations Tangible and intangible assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recorded at fair value and goodwill is recognized for any difference between the price of the acquisition and fair value. We recognize the assets acquired, the liabilities assumed and any non-controlling interest in the acquiree at the acquisition date, measured at the fair value as of that date. Acquisition related costs are recognized separately from the acquisition and are expensed as incurred. We customarily estimate related transaction costs known at closing. To the extent that information not available to us at the closing date subsequently becomes available during the allocation period, we may adjust goodwill, intangible assets, assets or liabilities associated with the acquisition. During 2015 , we acquired two funeral home businesses, one in Clarksville, Tennessee in February 2015 and one in Wake Forest, North Carolina in November 2015. See Note 3 to the Consolidated Financial Statements herein for further information concerning these acquisitions. Discontinued Operations Effective January 1, 2015, we adopted the Financial Accounting Standards Board's (“FASB”) new guidance for reporting discontinued operations. In April 2014, the FASB amended the definition of “discontinued operations” to include only disposals or held-for-sale classifications for components or groups of components of an entity that represent a strategic shift that either has or will have a major effect on the entity's operations or financial results. Examples of a strategic shift that has or will have a major effect on an entity's operations and financial results include a disposal of a major geographical area, line of business, equity method of investment or other parts of an entity. The new guidance also requires the disclosure of pre-tax income of disposals that do not qualify as discontinued operations. We continually review locations to optimize the sustainable earning power and return on our invested capital. These reviews could entail selling certain non-strategic businesses. In 2013, we sold seven funeral homes, one in California, one in Ohio, one in Kentucky and four in Kansas and sold one cemetery in Virginia. In 2014, we sold a cemetery in Florida and two funeral homes, one in Ohio and one in Kentucky. There were no divestitures of our funeral home or cemetery businesses during the year ended December 31, 2015 . For the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2014, we recognized income from discontinued operations of $4.2 million and $0.4 million , respectively. Goodwill The excess of the purchase price over the fair value of identifiable net assets of funeral home businesses acquired is recorded as goodwill. Goodwill has primarily been recorded in connection with the acquisition of funeral home businesses. Goodwill is tested annually for impairment by assessing the fair value of each of our reporting units. The funeral segment reporting units consist of our East, Central and West regions in the United States and we performed our annual impairment test of goodwill using information as of August 31, 2015. Under current guidance, we are permitted to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more-likely-than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test. We conducted qualitative assessments in 2014 and 2015; however, for our 2013 annual impairment test, we performed the two-step goodwill impairment test. Our intent is to perform the two-step test at least once every three years unless certain indicators or events suggest otherwise. The two-step goodwill impairment test involves estimates and management judgment. In the first step of our goodwill impairment testing, we compare the fair value of each reporting unit to its carrying value, including goodwill. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, the goodwill of that reporting unit is not considered impaired, and the second step is not required. We determine fair value for each reporting unit using both a market approach, weighted 70% , and an income approach, weighted 30% . Our methodology for determining a market approach fair value utilizes recent sales transactions in the industry. Our methodology for determining an income-based fair value is based on discounting projected future cash flows. The projected future cash flows include assumptions concerning future operating performance that may differ from actual future cash flows using a weighted average cost of capital for the Company and other public deathcare companies. In accordance with the guidance, if the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, the second step of the goodwill impairment testing needs to be performed. This step compares the implied fair value of goodwill to the carrying amount of the reporting unit’s goodwill, and if the carrying amount exceeds the implied value, an impairment charge is recorded in an amount equal to the difference. In addition to our annual review, we assess the impairment of goodwill whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of a reporting unit may be greater than fair value. Factors that could trigger an interim impairment review include, but are not limited to, significant adverse changes in the business climate which may be indicated by a decline in our market capitalization or decline in operating results. No impairments were recorded in relation to our goodwill annual assessment in 2013 , 2014 or 2015 . No such events or changes occurred between the testing date and year end to trigger a subsequent impairment review. For the years ended December 31, 2013 and 2014, we recognized impairments of approximately $0.1 million and $1.2 million , respectively, for discontinued locations as the carrying value exceeded fair value. Upon receipt of a letter of intent to sell a location, we perform an analysis to determine if the net assets of the location exceed the sales price. If the net assets exceed the sales price, we record an impairment at the location level. Intangible Assets Our intangible assets include tradenames resulting from acquisitions. Our tradenames are included in Deferred costs and other non-current assets on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Our tradenames are considered to have an indefinite life and are not subject to amortization. We test for impairment of intangible assets annually at year end in accordance with the ASC Intangibles Topic 350. Under current guidance, we are permitted to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more-likely-than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step impairment test. We conducted qualitative assessments in 2013, 2014 and 2015. In addition to our annual review, we assess the impairment of intangible assets whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may be greater than the fair value. Factors that could trigger an interim impairment review include, but are not limited to, significant under performance relative to historical results and significant negative industry or economic trends. For the years ended December 31, 2013, 2014 and 2015, no impairments were identified. Use of Estimates The preparation of our Consolidated Financial Statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. On an on-going basis, we evaluate our estimates and judgments, including those related to revenue recognition, realization of accounts receivable, goodwill, intangible assets, property and equipment and deferred tax assets and liabilities. We base our estimates on historical experience, third party data and assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. The results of these considerations form the basis for making judgments about the amount and timing of revenues and expenses, the carrying value of assets and the recorded amounts of liabilities. Actual results may differ from these estimates and such estimates may change if the underlying conditions or assumptions change. Historical performance should not be viewed as indicative of future performance, as there can be no assurance that our results of operations will be consistent from year to year. Subsequent Events We have evaluated events and transactions during the period subsequent to December 31, 2015 through the date the financial statements were issued for potential recognition or disclosure in the accompanying financial statements covered by this report. For more information regarding subsequent events, see Note 25 to the Consolidated Financial Statements herein.

Recently Issued Accounting Stan

Recently Issued Accounting Standards	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Accounting Changes and Error Corrections [Abstract]
RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING STANDARDS	RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING STANDARDS Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities In January 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”), Financial Instruments—Overall - Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities (Topic 825). The amendments in this ASU address certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of financial instruments and apply to all entities that hold financial assets or owe financial liabilities. The amendments in this ASU also simplify the impairment assessment of equity investments without readily determinable fair values by requiring assessment for impairment qualitatively at each reporting period. That impairment assessment is similar to the qualitative assessment for long-lived assets, goodwill, and indefinite-lived intangible assets. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years, with earlier application permitted for financial statements that have not been issued. An entity should apply the amendments by means of a cumulative-effect adjustment to the balance sheet as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. We plan to adopt the provisions of this ASU for our fiscal year beginning January 1, 2018 and are currently evaluating the impact the adoption of this new accounting standard will have on our Consolidated Financial Statements. Classification of Deferred Taxes In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU, Income Taxes - Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes (Topic 740). This ASU requires that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified statement of financial position. The amendments eliminate the guidance in Topic 740 that requires an entity to separate deferred tax liabilities and assets into a current amount and a noncurrent amount in a classified statement of financial position. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years, and may be applied either prospectively to all deferred tax liabilities and assets or retrospectively to all periods presented. We plan to adopt the provisions of this ASU for our fiscal year beginning January 1, 2017 and are currently evaluating the impact the adoption of this new accounting standard will have on our Consolidated Financial Statements. Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments for Business Combinations In September 2015, the FASB issued ASU, Business Combinations - Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments (Topic 805). This ASU applies to all entities that have reported provisional amounts for items in a business combination for which the accounting is incomplete by the end of the reporting period in which the combination occurs and during the measurement period that have an adjustment to provisional amounts recognized. This ASU requires that an acquirer recognize adjustments to provisional amounts that are identified during the measurement period in the reporting period in which the adjustment amounts are determined. These include the effect on earnings of changes in depreciation, amortization, or other income effects as if the accounting had been completed at the acquisition date. The entity is required to present separately on the face of the income statement or disclose in the notes the portion of the amount recorded in the current period earnings by line item that would have been recorded in previous reporting periods if the adjustment to the provisional amounts had been recognized as of the acquisition date. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, including interim periods within those fiscal years, and should be applied prospectively to adjustments to provisional amounts that occur after the effective date, with earlier application permitted for financial statements that have not been issued. Our adoption of this ASU for our fiscal year beginning January 1, 2016 is not expected to have a material effect on our financial statements. Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU, Inventory - Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory (Topic 330). This ASU applies to all inventory, including inventory that is measured using the first-in, first-out (FIFO) or average cost method. This ASU does not apply to the last-in, first-out (LIFO) or the retail inventory method. This ASU requires an entity to measure inventory at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Net realizable value is the estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal and transportation. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years, and should be applied prospectively, with earlier application permitted as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period. Our adoption of this ASU for our fiscal year beginning January 1, 2017 is not expected to have a material effect on our financial statements. Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU, Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs . To simplify the presentation of debt issuance costs, this ASU requires that entities that have historically presented debt issuance costs as an asset, related to a recognized debt liability, will be required to present those costs as a direct deduction from the carrying value of the related debt liability. This presentation will result in debt issuance costs being presented in the same way debt discounts have historically been addressed. This ASU does not change the recognition, measurement or subsequent measurement guidance for debt issuance costs. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption of this ASU is permitted for financial statements that have not been previously issued. The new guidance should be applied on a retrospective basis, wherein the balance sheet of each individual period presented should be adjusted to reflect the period-specific effects of applying the new guidance. Upon transition, an entity is required to comply with the applicable disclosures for a change in accounting principle. These disclosures include the nature and reason for the change in accounting principle, the transition method, a description of the prior-period information that has been retrospectively adjusted, and the effect of the change on debt issuance costs asset and the debt liability. We plan to adopt the provisions of this ASU for our fiscal year beginning January 1, 2016. Our adoption of this ASU is not expected to have a material effect on our financial statements. Cloud Computing Arrangement s In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU, Intangibles–Goodwill and Other–Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40), to provide guidance on whether a cloud computing arrangement contains a software license. If a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license, then an entity should account for the software license element of the arrangement consistent with the acquisition of other software licenses. If a cloud computing arrangement does not include a software license, an entity should account for the arrangement as a service contract. The new guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years. We plan to adopt these provisions for our fiscal year beginning January 1, 2016. Our adoption of this ASU is not expected to have a material effect on our financial statements. Extraordinary and Unusual Items In January 2015, the FASB issued ASU, Income Statement - Extraordinary and Unusual Items (Subtopic 225-20). This ASU eliminates the concept of reporting extraordinary items. Extraordinary items are events and transactions that are distinguished by their unusual nature and by the infrequency of their occurrence. Preparers will not have to assess whether a particular event or transaction is extraordinary and likewise, auditors and regulators no longer need to evaluate whether a preparer treated an unusual and/or infrequent item appropriately. The presentation and disclosure guidance for items that are unusual in nature or occur infrequently will be retained and will be expanded to include such items. This ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2015. A reporting entity may apply this ASU prospectively. A reporting entity may also apply this ASU retrospectively to all prior periods presented in the financial statements. Early adoption is permitted provided that the guidance is applied from the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. We plan to adopt these provisions for our fiscal year beginning January 1, 2016. Our adoption of this ASU is not expected to have a material effect on our financial statements. Going Concern In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU, Presentation of Financial Statements - Going Concern (Subtopic 205-40) . This ASU provides guidance about management's responsibility to evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about an entity's ability to continue as a going concern or to provide related footnote disclosures. This ASU requires management to assess an entity's ability to continue as a going concern by incorporating and expanding upon certain principles that are currently U.S. auditing standards. Specifically, this ASU provides a definition of the term substantial doubt, requires evaluation of every reporting period including interim periods, provides principles for considering the mitigating effect of management's plans, requires certain disclosures when substantial doubt is alleviated as a result of consideration of management's plans, requires an express statement and other disclosures when substantial doubt is not alleviated and requires an assessment for a period of one year after the date that the financial statements are issued or available to be issued. This ASU is effective for the annual period ending after December 15, 2016, and for annual and interim periods thereafter. Early application is permitted. We plan to adopt these provisions for our fiscal year beginning January 1, 2017. Revenue from Contracts with Customers In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. (Topic 606). ASC Topic 606 supersedes the revenue recognition requirements under ASC Topic 605, Revenue Recognition , and most industry-specific guidance throughout the Industry Topics of the ASC. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which an entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. Under the new guidance, an entity is required to perform the following five steps: (1) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (2) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (3) determine the transaction price; (4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (5) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. The new guidance will significantly enhance comparability of revenue recognition practices across entities, industries, jurisdictions and capital markets. Additionally, the guidance requires improved disclosures as to the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue that is recognized. The guidance was effective for the annual reporting period beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period. Early adoption is not permitted. On July 9, 2015, the FASB deferred the effective date by one year to annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period. We plan to adopt the provisions of this ASU for our fiscal year beginning January 1, 2018 and are currently evaluating the impact the adoption of this new accounting standard will have on our Consolidated Financial Statements.

Acquisitions

Acquisitions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Business Combinations [Abstract]
ACQUISITIONS	ACQUISITIONS Our growth strategy includes the execution of our Strategic Acquisition Model. We assess the strategic positioning of acquisition candidates based on certain criteria, which include volume and price trends, size of business, size of market, competitive standing, demographics, strength of brand and barriers to entry. The value of the acquisition candidates is based on the local market competitive dynamic which allows for appropriate and differentiating enterprise valuations and flexibility to customize the transactions. On February 25, 2015, we acquired a funeral home business in Clarksville, Tennessee for approximately $8.8 million . The purchase price consisted of $4.25 million paid in cash at closing and $4.5 million , the net present value of future deferred payments totaling $5.5 million , which is included in Long-term debt, net of current portion on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. The deferred payments are being paid in 20 equal quarterly installments of $0.3 million which commenced on the close date and each January 1, April 1, July 1 and October 1 for the next five years. On November 17, 2015, we acquired a funeral home business in Wake Forest, North Carolina for approximately $6.2 million . The purchase price consisted of approximately $5.48 million paid in cash at closing and $0.76 million , the net present value of contingent consideration totaling $1.0 million , which is included in Other long-term liabilities on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.The contingent consideration is being paid in five annual installments and the amount is based on the business achieving certain performance metrics. The following table summarizes the breakdown of the purchase price for the two businesses described above (in thousands): Purchase Price Cash paid $ 9,725 Deferred payments 4,531 Contingent consideration 762 Purchase Price $ 15,018 The following table summarizes the fair value of the assets acquired for these businesses (in thousands): Acquisition Date Type of Business Market Assets Acquired (Excluding Goodwill) Goodwill Recorded Liabilities and Debt Assumed February 25, 2015 Funeral home Clarksville, TN $ 4.9 $ 3.9 $ — November 17, 2015 Funeral home Wakeforest, NC $ 3.1 $ 3.1 $ — Purchase Price Allocation Current assets $ 92 Property, plant & equipment 5,966 Goodwill 6,974 Deferred charges and other non-current assets 1,986 Purchase Price $ 15,018 The deferred charges and other non-current assets relate to the fair value of tradenames and agreements not-to-compete we acquired. As of December 31, 2015, our accounting for the Tennessee acquisition is complete. During 2014, we acquired 6 businesses from SCI which included four businesses in New Orleans, Louisiana, consisting of four funeral homes, one of which was a combination funeral home and cemetery, and two funeral businesses in Alexandria, Virginia for $54.9 million (collectively the “SCI Acquisition”). Additionally, during 2014 we acquired real estate for approximately $3.0 million for funeral home expansion projects. We acquired substantially all the assets and assumed certain operating liabilities including obligations associated with existing preneed contracts. The following table summarizes the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in our SCI Acquisition and the subsequent adjustments made based on the final valuations and additional information which became available prior to December 31, 2014 (in thousands): Initial Purchase Price Allocation Adjustments Final Purchase Price Allocation Current assets $ 1,998 128 2,126 Property, plant & equipment 16,457 2 16,459 Preneed cemetery trust investments 3,632 — 3,632 Preneed funeral trust investments 45 — 45 Goodwill 33,826 3,827 37,653 Deferred charges and other non-current assets 6,208 (3,918 ) 2,290 Cemetery perpetual care investments 7,491 — 7,491 Obligations under capital leases (1,960 ) — (1,960 ) Deferred preneed cemetery revenue (1,679 ) (39 ) (1,718 ) Deferred preneed cemetery receipts held in trust (3,632 ) — (3,632 ) Deferred preneed funeral receipts held in trust (45 ) — (45 ) Care trusts' corpus (7,491 ) — (7,491 ) Cash paid $ 54,850 $ — $ 54,850 The pro forma impact of the SCI acquisition on prior periods is not presented as the impact is not material to our reported results. The results of the acquired businesses are included in our results of operations from the date of acquisition.

Goodwill

Goodwill	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
GOODWILL	GOODWILL Many of the former owners and staff of acquired funeral homes and certain cemeteries have provided high quality service to families for generations. The resulting loyalty often represents a substantial portion of the value of a business. The excess of the purchase price over the fair value of net identifiable assets acquired and liabilities assumed, as determined by management in business acquisition transactions accounted for as purchases, is recorded as goodwill. We performed our 2015 annual impairment test of goodwill using information as of August 31, 2015. Under current guidance, we are permitted to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test. For our 2014 and 2015 impairment tests we conducted qualitative assessments. For our 2013 annual impairment test, we performed the two-step goodwill impairment test. Our intent is to perform the two-step test at least once every three years unless certain indicators or events suggest otherwise. Also see Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements herein for a discussion of the methodology used for our annual goodwill impairment test. Based on our 2015 impairment test, we concluded that there was no impairment to goodwill. The following table presents changes in goodwill in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2015 (in thousands): December 31, 2014 December 31, 2015 Goodwill at the beginning of year $ 221,087 $ 257,442 Increase in goodwill related to acquisitions 37,653 6,974 Changes in previous estimates (101 ) — Net impairment and write-off related to divestitures (1,197 ) — Goodwill at the end of the year $ 257,442 $ 264,416 The $7.0 million increase to goodwill represents the goodwill recorded in connection with the acquisitions of two funeral home businesses, one in Clarksville, Tennessee in February 2015 and one in Wake Forest, North Carolina in November 2015.

Discontinued Operations

Discontinued Operations	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]
ASSETS HELD FOR SALE AND DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS	DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS Effective January 1, 2015, we adopted the FASB's new guidance for reporting discontinued operations. In April 2014, the FASB amended the definition of “discontinued operations” to include only disposals or held-for-sale classifications for components or groups of components of an entity that represent a strategic shift that either has or will have a major effect on an entity's operations or financial results. Examples of a strategic shift that has or will have a major effect on an entity's operations and financial results include a disposal of a major geographical area, line of business, equity method of investment or other parts of an entity. The new guidance also requires the disclosure of pre-tax income of disposals that do not qualify as discontinued operations. We continually review locations to optimize the sustainable earning power and return on our invested capital. These reviews could entail selling certain non-strategic businesses. We had no divestitures of any of our funeral home or cemetery businesses in 2015. During 2014, we sold a cemetery in Florida and two funeral homes, one in Ohio and one in Kentucky. In 2013, we sold seven funeral homes, one in California, one in Ohio, one in Kentucky and four in Kansas and sold one cemetery in Virginia. The operating results of discontinued businesses, as well as any impairments and net gains on the disposals, which is presented within discontinued operations on our Consolidated Statements of Operations, along with the income tax effect, were as follows (in thousands): Year Ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 Revenues $ 4,164 $ 817 $ — Operating income 729 235 — Impairment (100 ) (1,180 ) — Net gain on disposal 6,091 1,594 — Income tax provision (2,544 ) (257 ) — Income from discontinued operations, net of tax $ 4,176 $ 392 $ —

Preneed Trust Investments

Preneed Trust Investments	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Preneed Trust Investments [Abstract]
PRENEED TRUST INVESTMENTS	PRENEED TRUST INVESTMENTS Preneed Cemetery Trust Investments Preneed cemetery trust investments represent trust fund assets that we are generally permitted to withdraw when the merchandise or services are provided. The components of Preneed cemetery trust investments on our Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2014 and 2015 were as follows (in thousands): December 31, 2014 December 31, 2015 Preneed cemetery trust investments, at market value $ 74,198 $ 65,486 Less: allowance for contract cancellation (2,226 ) (2,195 ) Preneed cemetery trust investments, net $ 71,972 $ 63,291 Upon cancellation of a preneed cemetery contract, a customer is generally entitled to receive a refund of the corpus, and in some cases, some or all of the earnings held in trust. In certain jurisdictions, we are obligated to fund any shortfall if the amounts deposited by the customer exceed the funds in trust, including some or all investment income. As a result, when realized or unrealized losses of a trust result in the trust being under-funded, we assess whether we are responsible for replenishing the corpus of the trust, in which case a loss provision is recorded. Earnings from our preneed cemetery trust investments are recognized in revenue when a service is performed or merchandise is delivered. Trust management fees charged by our wholly-owned registered investment advisor are included as revenue in the period in which they are earned. Where quoted prices are available in an active market, investments held by the trusts are classified as Level 1 investments pursuant to the three-level valuation hierarchy. Our Level 1 investments include cash and common stock. Where quoted market prices are not available for the specific security, fair values are estimated by using quoted prices of similar securities in active markets or other inputs other than quoted prices that can corroborate observable market data. These investments are fixed income securities including municipal bonds, foreign debt, corporate debt, preferred stocks and mortgage backed securities, all of which are classified within Level 2 of the valuation hierarchy. We review and update our fair value hierarchy classifications quarterly. There were no transfers between Levels 1 and 2 in the year ended December 31, 2015 . There are no Level 3 investments in the preneed cemetery trust investment portfolio. See Note 11 for further information of the fair value measurement and the three-level valuation hierarchy. The cost and fair market values associated with preneed cemetery trust investments at December 31, 2015 are detailed below (in thousands): Fair Value Hierarchy Level Cost Unrealized Gains Unrealized Losses Fair Market Value Cash and money market accounts 1 $ 8,296 $ — $ — $ 8,296 Fixed income securities: Municipal bonds 2 458 — (63 ) 395 Foreign debt 2 4,803 — (695 ) 4,108 Corporate debt 2 22,968 85 (4,279 ) 18,774 Preferred stock 2 16,236 29 (885 ) 15,380 Mortgage backed securities 2 — — — — Common stock 1 20,387 682 (3,161 ) 17,908 Trust securities $ 73,148 $ 796 $ (9,083 ) $ 64,861 Accrued investment income $ 625 $ 625 Preneed cemetery trust investments $ 65,486 Market value as a percentage of cost 88.7 % The estimated maturities of the fixed income securities included above are as follows (in thousands): Due in one year or less $ 133 Due in one to five years 4,858 Due in five to ten years 2,324 Thereafter 31,342 Total fixed income securities $ 38,657 The cost and market values associated with preneed cemetery trust investments at December 31, 2014 are detailed below (in thousands): Fair Value Hierarchy Level Cost Unrealized Gains Unrealized Losses Fair Market Value Cash and money market accounts 1 $ 5,591 $ — $ — $ 5,591 Fixed income securities: Municipal bonds 2 347 9 — $ 356 Foreign debt 2 5,874 — (237 ) 5,637 Corporate debt 2 30,108 362 (2,167 ) 28,303 Preferred stock 2 19,154 199 (325 ) 19,028 Mortgage backed securities 2 1 — — 1 Common stock 1 13,128 2,357 (966 ) 14,519 Trust securities $ 74,203 $ 2,927 $ (3,695 ) $ 73,435 Accrued investment income $ 763 $ 763 Preneed cemetery trust investments $ 74,198 Market value as a percentage of cost 99.0 % We determine whether or not the assets in the preneed cemetery trust investments have an other-than-temporary impairment on a security-by-security basis. This assessment is made based upon a number of criteria including the length of time a security has been in a loss position, changes in market conditions and concerns related to the specific issuer. If a loss is considered to be other-than-temporary, the cost basis of the security is adjusted downward to its fair market value. Any reduction in the cost basis of the investment due to an other-than-temporary impairment is likewise recorded as a reduction in Deferred preneed cemetery receipts held in trust on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. We recorded a $0.7 million impairment charge for other-than-temporary declines in fair value related to unrealized losses on certain investments during our 2015 fiscal year. In 2014, we recorded a $0.2 million impairment charge for other-than-temporary declines in fair value related to unrealized losses on certain investments. There is no impact on earnings until such time that the loss is realized in the trusts, allocated to the preneed contracts and the services are performed or the merchandise is delivered causing the contract to be withdrawn from the trust in accordance with state regulations. At December 31, 2015 , we had certain investments within our preneed cemetery trust investments that had tax lots in loss positions for more than one year. Based on our analyses of these securities, the companies’ businesses and current market conditions, we determined that these investment losses were temporary in nature. Our cemetery merchandise and service trust investment unrealized losses, their associated fair market values, and the duration of unrealized losses for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 , are shown in the following tables (in thousands): December 31, 2015 In Loss Position Less than 12 months In Loss Position Greater than 12 months Total Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fixed income securities: Municipal bonds $ 395 $ (63 ) $ — $ — $ 395 $ (63 ) Foreign debt 3,680 (384 ) 406 (312 ) 4,086 (696 ) Corporate debt 14,468 (2,992 ) 3,056 (1,287 ) 17,524 (4,279 ) Preferred stock 10,285 (436 ) 5,168 (448 ) 15,453 (884 ) Common stock 12,029 (1,989 ) 3,564 (1,172 ) 15,593 (3,161 ) Total temporary impaired securities $ 40,857 $ (5,864 ) $ 12,194 $ (3,219 ) $ 53,051 $ (9,083 ) December 31, 2014 In Loss Position Less than 12 months In Loss Position Greater than 12 months Total Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fixed income securities: Foreign debt $ 5,629 $ (237 ) $ — $ — $ 5,629 $ (237 ) Corporate debt 18,051 (778 ) 2,016 (1,389 ) 20,067 (2,167 ) Preferred stock 10,342 (289 ) 3,236 (36 ) 13,578 (325 ) Common stock 6,904 (911 ) 65 (55 ) 6,969 (966 ) Total temporary impaired securities $ 40,926 $ (2,215 ) $ 5,317 $ (1,480 ) $ 46,243 $ (3,695 ) Preneed cemetery trust investment security transactions recorded in Interest expense on our Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2013 , 2014 and 2015 were as follows (in thousands): Year ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 Investment income $ 3,349 $ 2,840 $ 2,562 Realized gains 3,018 5,712 2,952 Realized losses (763 ) (2,789 ) (3,671 ) Expenses and taxes (2,934 ) (1,716 ) (1,790 ) Increase in deferred preneed cemetery receipts held in trust (2,670 ) (4,047 ) (53 ) $ — $ — $ — Purchases and sales of investments in the preneed cemetery trusts were as follows (in thousands): Year ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 Purchases $ (46,558 ) $ (53,443 ) $ (26,757 ) Sales 47,318 58,022 23,141 Preneed Funeral Trust Investments Preneed funeral trust investments represent trust fund assets that we are permitted to withdraw as services and merchandise are provided to customers. Preneed funeral contracts are secured by funds paid by the customer to us. Preneed funeral trust investments are reduced by the trust earnings we have been allowed to withdraw prior to our performance and amounts received from customers that are not required to be deposited into trust, pursuant to various state laws. The components of Preneed funeral trust investments on our Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2014 and 2015 were as follows (in thousands): December 31, 2014 December 31, 2015 Preneed funeral trust investments, at market value $ 100,579 $ 88,444 Less: allowance for contract cancellation (2,972 ) (2,891 ) Preneed funeral trust investments, net $ 97,607 $ 85,553 Upon cancellation of a preneed funeral contract, a customer is generally entitled to receive a refund of the corpus and some or all of the earnings held in trust. In certain jurisdictions, we are obligated to fund any shortfall if the amounts deposited by the customer exceed the funds in trust, including some or all investment income. As a result, when realized or unrealized losses of a trust result in the trust being under-funded, we assess whether we are responsible for replenishing the corpus of the trust, in which case a loss provision is recorded. Earnings from our preneed funeral trust investments are recognized in revenue when a service is performed or merchandise is delivered. Trust management fees charged by our wholly-owned registered investment advisor are included in revenue in the period in which they are earned. Where quoted prices are available in an active market, investments held by the trusts are classified as Level 1 investments pursuant to the three-level valuation hierarchy. Our Level 1 investments include cash, U.S. treasury debt, common stock and equity mutual funds. Where quoted market prices are not available for the specific security, then fair values are estimated by using quoted prices of similar securities in active markets or other inputs other than quoted prices that can corroborate observable market data. These investments are fixed income securities including U.S. agency obligations, foreign debt, corporate debt, preferred stocks, mortgage backed securities and fixed income mutual funds and other investments, all of which are classified within Level 2 of the valuation hierarchy. We review and update our fair value hierarchy classifications quarterly. There were no other transfers between Levels 1 and 2 for the year ended December 31, 2015 . There are no Level 3 investments in the preneed funeral trust investment portfolio. See Note 11 for further information of the fair value measurement and the three-level valuation hierarchy. The cost and fair market values associated with preneed funeral trust investments at December 31, 2015 are detailed below (in thousands): Fair Value Hierarchy Level Cost Unrealized Gains Unrealized Losses Fair Market Value Cash and money market accounts 1 $ 21,458 $ — $ — $ 21,458 Fixed income securities: U.S. treasury debt 1 1,492 24 (12 ) 1,504 Municipal Bonds 2 478 — (66 ) 412 Foreign debt 2 4,938 — (711 ) 4,227 Corporate debt 2 24,787 133 (4,711 ) 20,209 Preferred stock 2 17,496 158 (914 ) 16,740 Mortgage backed securities 2 273 4 (4 ) 273 Common stock 1 20,864 738 (3,114 ) 18,488 Mutual funds: Equity 1 — — — — Fixed income 2 959 — (82 ) 877 Other investments 2 3,598 — (30 ) 3,568 Trust securities $ 96,343 $ 1,057 $ (9,644 ) $ 87,756 Accrued investment income $ 688 $ 688 Preneed funeral trust investments $ 88,444 Market value as a percentage of cost 91.1 % The estimated maturities of the fixed income securities included above are as follows (in thousands): Due in one year or less $ 144 Due in one to five years 5,794 Due in five to ten years 3,272 Thereafter 34,155 Total fixed income securities $ 43,365 The cost and market values associated with preneed funeral trust investments at December 31, 2014 are detailed below (in thousands): Fair Value Hierarchy Level Cost Unrealized Gains Unrealized Losses Fair Market Value Cash and money market accounts 1 $ 17,501 $ — $ — $ 17,501 Fixed income securities: U.S. treasury debt 1 2,037 32 (15 ) 2,054 U.S. agency obligations 2 30 — — 30 Foreign debt 2 4,653 — (188 ) 4,465 Corporate debt 2 24,761 469 (1,718 ) 23,512 Preferred stock 2 16,166 256 (261 ) 16,161 Mortgage backed securities 2 309 8 (3 ) 314 Common stock 1 10,544 1,926 (783 ) 11,687 Mutual funds: Equity 1 14,126 1,370 (181 ) 15,315 Fixed income 2 5,351 115 (72 ) 5,394 Other investments 2 3,560 — (29 ) 3,531 Trust securities $ 99,038 $ 4,176 $ (3,250 ) $ 99,964 Accrued investment income $ 615 $ 615 Preneed funeral trust investments $ 100,579 Market value as a percentage of cost 100.9 % We determine whether or not the assets in the preneed funeral trust investments have other-than-temporary impairments on a security-by-security basis. This assessment is made based upon a number of criteria including the length of time a security has been in a loss position, changes in market conditions and concerns related to the specific issuer. If a loss is considered to be other-than-temporary, the cost basis of the security is adjusted downward to its fair market value. Any reduction in the cost basis of the investment due to an other-than-temporary impairment is likewise recorded as a reduction to Deferred preneed funeral receipts held in trust on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. We recorded a $0.6 million impairment charge for other-than-temporary declines in fair value related to unrealized losses on certain investments during our 2015 fiscal year. In 2014, we recorded a $0.1 million impairment charge for other-than-temporary declines in fair value related to unrealized losses on certain investments. There is no impact on earnings until such time that the loss is realized in the trusts, allocated to preneed contracts and the services are performed or the merchandise is delivered causing the contract to be withdrawn from the trust in accordance with state regulations. At December 31, 2015 , we had certain investments within our preneed funeral trust investments that had tax lots in loss positions for more than one year. Based on our analyses of these securities, the companies’ businesses and current market conditions, we determined that these investment losses were temporary in nature. Our preneed funeral trust investment unrealized losses, their associated fair market values, and the duration of unrealized losses as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 are shown the the following tables (in thousands): December 31, 2015 In Loss Position Less than 12 months In Loss Position Greater than 12 months Total Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fixed income securities: U.S. debt $ — $ — $ 1,504 $ (12 ) $ 1,504 $ (12 ) Municipal Bonds 413 (66 ) — — 413 (66 ) Foreign debt 3,763 (392 ) 416 (319 ) 4,179 (711 ) Corporate debt 15,929 (3,294 ) 3,364 (1,417 ) 19,293 (4,711 ) Preferred stock 10,623 (451 ) 5,338 (463 ) 15,961 (914 ) Mortgage backed securities — — 272 (4 ) 272 (4 ) Mutual funds: Equity 11,848 (1,959 ) 3,510 (1,154 ) 15,358 (3,113 ) Equity and other — — — — — — Fixed income 1 — 876 (82 ) 877 (82 ) Other investments — — 42 (31 ) 42 (31 ) Total temporary impaired securities $ 42,577 $ (6,162 ) $ 15,322 $ (3,482 ) $ 57,899 $ (9,644 ) December 31, 2014 In Loss Position Less than 12 months In Loss Position Greater than 12 months Total Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fixed income securities: U.S. debt $ 500 $ — $ 836 $ (15 ) $ 1,336 $ (15 ) Foreign debt 4,471 (188 ) — — 4,471 (188 ) Corporate debt 14,310 (617 ) 1,598 (1,101 ) 15,908 (1,718 ) Preferred stock 8,300 (232 ) 2,597 (29 ) 10,897 (261 ) Mortgage backed securities — — 51 (3 ) 51 (3 ) Mutual funds: Equity 5,594 (739 ) 53 (44 ) 5,647 (783 ) Equity and other 4,204 (180 ) 6 (1 ) 4,210 (181 ) Fixed income 888 (19 ) 1,026 (53 ) 1,914 (72 ) Other investments — — 42 (29 ) 42 (29 ) Total temporary impaired securities $ 38,267 $ (1,975 ) $ 6,209 $ (1,275 ) $ 44,476 $ (3,250 ) Preneed funeral trust investment security transactions recorded in Interest expense on our Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2013 , 2014 and 2015 were as follows (in thousands): Year ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 Investment income $ 3,190 $ 3,065 $ 2,819 Realized gains 7,957 7,184 3,931 Realized losses (5,743 ) (2,313 ) (3,979 ) Expenses and taxes (1,669 ) (1,470 ) (988 ) Increase in deferred preneed funeral receipts held in trust (3,735 ) (6,466 ) (1,783 ) $ — $ — $ — Purchases and sales of investments in the preneed funeral trusts were as follows (in thousands): Year ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 Purchases $ (38,592 ) $ (57,297 ) $ (26,021 ) Sales 39,853 60,352 42,582

Preneed Cemetery Receivables

Preneed Cemetery Receivables	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Preneed Cemetery Receivables [Abstract]
PRENEED CEMETERY RECEIVABLES	PRENEED CEMETERY RECEIVABLES Preneed sales of cemetery interment rights and related products and services are usually financed through interest-bearing installment sales contracts, generally with terms of up to five years with such interest income reflected as Preneed cemetery finance charges . In substantially all cases, we receive an initial down payment at the time the contract is signed. At December 31, 2015 , the balance of preneed receivables for cemetery interment rights and for merchandise and services was $26.8 million and $9.7 million , respectively, of which $11.2 million is presented in Accounts receivable and $25.3 million is presented in Preneed receivables . At December 31, 2014 , the balance of preneed receivables for cemetery interment rights and for merchandise and services was $24.5 million and $9.4 million , respectively, of which $10.6 million is presented in Accounts receivable and $23.3 million is presented in Preneed receivables . The unearned finance charges associated with these receivables was $4.6 million and $5.2 million at December 31, 2014 and 2015 , respectively. We determine an allowance for customer cancellations and refunds on contracts in which revenue has been recognized on sales of cemetery interment rights. We have a collections policy where past due notifications are sent to the customer beginning at 15 days past due and periodically thereafter until the contract is cancelled or payment is received. We reserve 100% of the receivables on contracts in which the revenue has been recognized and payments are 90 days past due or more, which was approximately 5.1% of the total receivables on recognized sales at December 31, 2015 . An allowance is recorded at the date that the contract is executed and periodically adjusted thereafter based upon actual collection experience at the business level. For the years ending December 31, 2014 and 2015 , the changes to the allowance for contract cancellations were as follows (in thousands): As of December 31, 2014 2015 Beginning balance $ 1,347 $ 2,140 Write-offs and cancellations (1,172 ) (1,462 ) Provision 1,965 1,087 Ending balance $ 2,140 $ 1,765 The aging of past due financing receivables as of December 31, 2015 was as follows (in thousands): 31-60 Past Due 61-90 Past Due 91-120 Past Due >120 Past Due Total Past Due Current Total Financing Receivables Recognized revenue $ 758 $ 446 $ 225 $ 1,061 $ 2,490 $ 22,742 $ 25,232 Deferred revenue 273 207 103 335 918 10,380 11,298 Total contracts $ 1,031 $ 653 $ 328 $ 1,396 $ 3,408 $ 33,122 $ 36,530 The aging of past due financing receivables as of December 31, 2014 was as follows (in thousands): 31-60 Past Due 61-90 Past Due 91-120 Past Due >120 Past Due Total Past Due Current Total Financing Receivables Recognized revenue $ 756 $ 407 $ 250 $ 1,439 $ 2,852 $ 21,394 $ 24,246 Deferred revenue 296 204 116 720 1,336 8,333 9,669 Total contracts $ 1,052 $ 611 $ 366 $ 2,159 $ 4,188 $ 29,727 $ 33,915

Receivables from Preneed Trusts

Receivables from Preneed Trusts	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Receivables From Preneed Trusts [Abstract]
RECEIVABLES FROM PRENEED FUNERAL TRUSTS	RECEIVABLES FROM PRENEED TRUSTS The receivables from preneed trusts represent assets in trusts which are controlled and operated by third parties in which we do not have a controlling financial interest ( less than 50% ) in the trust assets. We account for these investments at cost. As of December 31, 2014 and 2015 , receivables from preneed trusts were as follows (in thousands): December 31, 2014 December 31, 2015 (in thousands) Preneed trust funds, at cost $ 13,205 $ 13,963 Less: allowance for contract cancellation (396 ) (419 ) Receivables from preneed trusts, net $ 12,809 $ 13,544 The following summary reflects the composition of the assets held in trust and controlled by third parties to satisfy our future obligations under preneed arrangements related to the preceding contracts at December 31, 2015 and 2014 . The cost basis includes reinvested interest and dividends that have been earned on the trust assets. Fair value includes unrealized gains and losses on trust assets. Historical Cost Basis Fair Value (in thousands) As of December 31, 2015 Cash and cash equivalents $ 2,898 $ 2,898 Fixed income investments 8,423 8,426 Mutual funds and common stocks 2,626 2,625 Annuities 16 16 Total $ 13,963 $ 13,965 Historical Cost Basis Fair Value (in thousands) As of December 31, 2014 Cash and cash equivalents $ 2,834 $ 2,834 Fixed income investments 7,880 7,893 Mutual funds and common stocks 2,467 2,586 Annuities 24 24 Total $ 13,205 $ 13,337

Contracts Secured by Insurance

Contracts Secured by Insurance	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Contracts Secured by Insurance [Abstract]
CONTRACTS SECURED BY INSURANCE	CONTRACTS SECURED BY INSURANCE Certain preneed funeral contracts are secured by life insurance contracts. Generally, the proceeds of the life insurance policies have been assigned to us and will be paid upon the death of the insured. The proceeds will be used to satisfy the beneficiary’s obligations under the preneed contract for services and merchandise. Preneed funeral contracts secured by insurance policies totaled $313.0 million and $324.0 million at December 31, 2014 and 2015 , respectively, and are not included on our Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Cemetery Perpetual Care Trust I

Cemetery Perpetual Care Trust Investments	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Cemetery Perpetual Care Trust Investments [Abstract]
CEMETERY PERPETUAL CARE TRUST INVESTMENTS	CEMETERY PERPETUAL CARE TRUST INVESTMENTS Care trusts’ corpus on our Consolidated Balance Sheets represent the corpus of those trusts plus undistributed income. The components of Care trusts’ corpus as of December 31, 2014 and 2015 were as follows (in thousands): December 31, 2014 December 31, 2015 Trust assets, at market value $ 48,670 $ 43,127 Obligations due from trust (528 ) (711 ) Care trusts’ corpus $ 48,142 $ 42,416 We are required by various state laws to pay a portion of the proceeds from the sale of cemetery property interment rights into perpetual care trust funds. The income earned from these perpetual care trusts offsets maintenance expenses for cemetery property and memorials. This trust fund income is recognized, as earned, in Revenues from cemetery operations . Trust management fees charged by CSV RIA are included in revenue in the period in which they are earned. Where quoted prices are available in an active market, investments held by the trusts are classified as Level 1 investments pursuant to the three-level valuation hierarchy. Our Level 1 investments include cash and common stock. Where quoted market prices are not available for the specific security, then fair values are estimated by using quoted prices of similar securities in active markets or other inputs other than quoted prices that can corroborate observable market data. These investments are municipal bonds, foreign debt, corporate debt and preferred stock, all of which are classified within Level 2 of the valuation hierarchy. There were no transfers between Levels 1 and 2 for the year ended December 31, 2015 . There are no Level 3 investments in the cemetery perpetual care trust investment portfolio. See Note 11 for further information of fair value measurement and the three-level valuation hierarchy. The following table reflects the cost and fair market values associated with the trust investments held in perpetual care trust funds at December 31, 2015 (in thousands): Fair Value Hierarchy Level Cost Unrealized Gains Unrealized Losses Fair Market Value Cash and money market accounts 1 $ 5,472 $ — $ — $ 5,472 Fixed income securities: Municipal bonds 2 325 — (45 ) 280 Foreign debt 2 3,232 — (480 ) 2,752 Corporate debt 2 16,216 57 (3,094 ) 13,179 Preferred stock 2 11,263 20 (611 ) 10,672 Common stock 1 11,945 393 (1,939 ) 10,399 Trust securities $ 48,453 $ 470 $ (6,169 ) $ 42,754 Accrued investment income $ 373 $ 373 Cemetery perpetual care investments $ 43,127 Market value as a percentage of cost 88.2 % The estimated maturities of the fixed income securities included above are as follows (in thousands): Due in one year or less $ 79 Due in one to five years 3,391 Due in five to ten years 1,690 Thereafter 21,723 Total fixed income securities $ 26,883 The following table reflects the cost and market values associated with the trust investments held in perpetual care trust funds at December 31, 2014 (in thousands): Fair Value Hierarchy Level Cost Unrealized Gains Unrealized Losses Fair Market Value Cash and money market accounts 1 $ 3,206 $ — $ — $ 3,206 Fixed income securities: Municipal bonds 2 229 5 — 234 Foreign debt 2 3,871 — (156 ) 3,715 Corporate debt 2 19,911 248 (1,428 ) 18,731 Preferred stock 2 12,694 137 (214 ) 12,617 Common stock 1 8,747 1,568 (653 ) 9,662 Trust securities $ 48,658 $ 1,958 $ (2,451 ) $ 48,165 Accrued investment income $ 505 $ 505 Cemetery perpetual care investments $ 48,670 Market value as a percentage of cost 99.0 % We determine whether or not the assets in the cemetery perpetual care trusts have an other-than-temporary impairment on a security-by-security basis. This assessment is made based upon a number of criteria including the length of time a security has been in a loss position, changes in market conditions and concerns related to the specific issuer. If a loss is considered to be other-than-temporary, the cost basis of the security is adjusted downward to its fair market value. Any reduction in the cost basis due to an other-than-temporary impairment is also recorded as a reduction to Care trusts’ corpus . We recorded a $0.5 million impairment charge for other-than-temporary declines in fair value related to unrealized losses on certain investments during our 2015 fiscal year. In 2014, we recorded a $0.1 million impairment charge for other-than-temporary declines in fair value related to unrealized losses on certain investments. At December 31, 2015 , we had certain investments within our perpetual care trust investments that had tax lots in loss positions for more than one year. Based on our analyses of these securities, the companies’ businesses and current market conditions, we determined that these investments losses are temporary in nature. Our perpetual care trust investment unrealized losses, their associated fair market values, and the duration of unrealized losses for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 , are shown in the following tables (in thousands): December 31, 2015 In Loss Position Less than 12 months In Loss Position Greater than 12 months Total Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fixed income securities: Municipal bonds $ 280 $ (45 ) $ — $ — $ 280 $ (45 ) Foreign debt 2,541 (265 ) 281 (215 ) 2,822 (480 ) Corporate debt 10,463 (2,164 ) 2,210 (931 ) 12,673 (3,095 ) Preferred stock 7,100 (301 ) 3,568 (309 ) 10,668 (610 ) Common stock 7,379 (1,220 ) 2,186 (719 ) 9,565 (1,939 ) Total temporary impaired securities $ 27,763 $ (3,995 ) $ 8,245 $ (2,174 ) $ 36,008 $ (6,169 ) December 31, 2014 In Loss Position Less than 12 months In Loss Position Greater than 12 months Total Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fixed income securities: Foreign debt $ 3,716 $ (156 ) $ — $ — $ 3,716 $ (156 ) Corporate debt 11,893 (513 ) 1,328 (915 ) 13,221 (1,428 ) Preferred stock 6,821 (191 ) 2,133 (23 ) 8,954 (214 ) Common stock 4,663 (616 ) 44 (37 ) 4,707 (653 ) Total temporary impaired securities $ 27,093 $ (1,476 ) $ 3,505 $ (975 ) $ 30,598 $ (2,451 ) Perpetual care trust investment security transactions recorded in Interest expense on our Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2013 , 2014 and 2015 were as follows (in thousands): Year ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 Realized gains $ 2,172 $ 3,468 $ 1,773 Realized losses (542 ) (1,748 ) (2,431 ) Decrease (increase) in Care trusts’ corpus (1,630 ) (1,720 ) 658 Total $ — $ — $ — Perpetual care trust investment security transactions recorded in Cemetery revenue for the years ended December 31, 2013 , 2014 and 2015 were as follows (in thousands): Year ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 Investment income $ 4,063 $ 4,713 $ 5,315 Realized gains, net 1,511 1,112 436 Total $ 5,574 $ 5,825 $ 5,751 Purchases and sales of investments in the perpetual care trusts were as follows (in thousands): Year ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 Purchases $ (27,719 ) $ (38,413 ) $ (16,694 ) Sales 28,261 35,402 14,710

Fair Value Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS	FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS Fair value is defined as the price that would be received from the sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date applicable for items that are recognized or disclosed at fair value in the financial statements on a recurring basis. We disclose the extent to which fair value is used to measure financial assets and liabilities, the inputs utilized in calculating valuation measurements, and the effect of the measurement of significant unobservable inputs on earnings, or changes in net assets, as of the measurement date. We evaluated our financial assets and liabilities for those financial assets and liabilities that met the criteria of the disclosure requirements and fair value framework. The carrying values of cash and cash equivalents, trade receivables, and trade payables approximate the fair values of those instruments due to the short-term nature of the instruments. The fair values of receivables on preneed funeral and cemetery contracts are impracticable to estimate because of the lack of a trading market and the diverse number of individual contracts with varying terms. Our long-term debt and Credit Facility are classified within Level 2 of the Fair Value Measurements hierarchy. The fair values of the long-term debt and Credit Facility approximate the carrying values of these instruments based on the index yields of similar securities compared to U.S. Treasury yield curves. The fair value of the Convertible Notes issued in March 2014 was approximately $170.5 million at December 31, 2015 based on the last traded or broker quoted price. We identified investments in fixed income securities, common stock and mutual funds presented within the preneed and perpetual care trust investments categories on our Consolidated Balance Sheets as having met the criteria for fair value measurement. See Notes 6 and 10 to our Consolidated Financial Statements herein for the fair value hierarchy levels of our trust investments. The following three-level valuation hierarchy based upon the transparency of inputs is utilized in the measurement and valuation of financial assets or liabilities as of the measurement date: • Level 1—Fair value of securities based on unadjusted quoted prices for identical assets or liabilities in active markets. Our investments classified as Level 1 securities include cash, common stock, U.S. treasury debt and equity mutual funds; • Level 2—Fair value of securities estimated based on quoted prices for similar assets and liabilities in active markets, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active, and inputs other than quoted market prices that are observable or that can be corroborated by observable market data by correlation. These inputs include interest rates, yield curves, credit risk, prepayment speeds, rating and tax-exempt status. Our investments classified as Level 2 securities include U.S. agency obligations, municipal bonds, corporate debt, preferred stocks, foreign debt, mortgage backed securities, fixed income mutual funds and other investments. • Level 3—Unobservable inputs based upon the reporting entity’s internally developed assumptions, which market participants would use in pricing the asset or liability. As of December 31, 2015 and 2014 , we did not have any assets that had fair values determined by Level 3 inputs and no liabilities measured at fair value. We account for our investments as available-for-sale and measure them at fair value under standards of financial accounting and reporting for investments in equity instruments that have readily determinable fair values and for all investments in debt securities.

Deferred Charges and Other Non-

Deferred Charges and Other Non-Current Assets	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Assets Disclosure	DEFERRED CHARGES AND OTHER NON-CURRENT ASSETS Deferred charges and other non-current assets at December 31, 2014 and 2015 were as follows (in thousands): December 31, 2014 December 31, 2015 Prepaid agreements not to compete, net of accumulated amortization of $5,105 and $5,404, respectively $ 1,159 $ 1,912 Deferred loan costs, net of accumulated amortization of $2,809 and $3,246, respectively 1,870 1,445 Convertible subordinated notes issuance costs, net of accumulated amortization of $375 and $858, respectively 3,252 2,769 Tradenames 7,660 8,856 Other 323 210 Deferred charges and other non-current assets $ 14,264 $ 15,192 Prepaid agreements not-to-compete are amortized over the term of the respective agreements, ranging generally from one to ten years. Amortization expense was $79,207 , $348,602 and $299,742 for the years ended December 31, 2013 , 2014 and 2015 , respectively. Deferred loan costs are being amortized over the term of the related debt using the effective interest method. Debt issuance costs related to our Convertible Notes issued in March 2014 are being amortized using the effective interest method over the seven year term of the notes. See Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements herein for further discussion related to our Convertible Notes. Our tradenames have indefinite lives and therefore are not amortized. During the year ended December 31, 2015 , we increased tradenames by approximately $1.2 million related to the acquisition of a funeral home business in February 2015 and we increased agreements not to compete by approximately $0.8 million related to the acquisition of a funeral home business in November 2015.

Long-Term Debt

Long-Term Debt	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Long-term Debt	LONG-TERM DEBT Our senior long-term debt consisted of the following at December 31, 2014 and 2015 (in thousands): December 31, 2014 December 31, 2015 Revolving credit facility, secured, floating rate $ 40,500 $ 92,600 Term loan, secured, floating rate 120,312 110,937 Acquisition debt 1,205 4,929 Less: current portion (9,630 ) (12,012 ) Total long-term debt $ 152,387 $ 196,454 At December 31, 2015 , we had a $325 million secured bank credit facility with Bank of America, N.A. as Administrative Agent comprised of a $200 million revolving credit facility and a $125 million term loan. The Credit Agreement contains an accordion provision to borrow up to an additional $50 million in revolving loans, subject to certain conditions. The Credit Facility matures on March 31, 2019 and is collateralized by all personal property and funeral home real property in certain states. At December 31, 2015 , we had outstanding borrowings under the revolving credit facility of $92.6 million and $110.9 million was outstanding on the term loan. No letters of credit were issued and outstanding under the Credit Facility at December 31, 2015 . Outstanding borrowings under the Credit Facility bear interest at either a prime rate or a LIBOR rate, plus an applicable margin based upon the Company’s leverage ratio. As of December 31, 2015 , the prime rate margin was equivalent to 1.50% and the LIBOR margin was 2.50% . The weighted average interest rate on the Credit Facility for the year ended December 31, 2015 was 2.60% . On May 20, 2015, we entered into a sixth amendment (the “Sixth Amendment”) to the Credit Agreement. The Sixth Amendment provides that, among other things, we may repurchase our common stock so long as at the time of such repurchase there have been no defaults under the Credit Agreement, we have at least $15.0 million of unrestricted cash and undrawn borrowing capacity under the Credit Facility and the senior secured leverage ratio is less than 3.25 to 1.00. See Note 25 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included herein for additional information related to our Credit Facility. We have no material assets or operations independent of our subsidiaries. All assets and operations are held and conducted by subsidiaries, each of which have fully and unconditionally guaranteed our obligations under the Credit Agreement. Additionally, we do not currently have any significant restrictions on our ability to receive dividends or loans from any subsidiary guarantor under the Credit Agreement. We were in compliance with the covenants contained in our Credit Agreement as of December 31, 2014 and 2015 . The Credit Agreement calls for key ratios that we must comply with including a requirement to maintain a leverage ratio of no more than 3.25 to 1.00 through March 30, 2015 and no more than 3.50 to 1.00 thereafter, and a covenant to maintain a fixed charge coverage ratio of no less than 1.20 to 1.00 . As of December 31, 2015 , the leverage ratio was 2.97 to 1.00 and the fixed charge coverage ratio was 2.79 to 1.00 . Acquisition debt consists of deferred purchase price notes payable to sellers. A majority of the notes bear interest at rates ranging from 7.0% to 11.0% . A few notes bear interest at 0% and are discounted at imputed interest rates ranging from 8.5% to 10.0% . Original maturities range from five to twenty years. The aggregate maturities of our long-term debt for the next five years subsequent to December 31, 2015 and thereafter are as follows (in thousands): Years ending December 31, 2016 $ 12,012 2017 13,499 2018 15,184 2019 167,168 2020 383 2021 and thereafter 220 $ 208,466

Convertible Subordinated Notes

Convertible Subordinated Notes	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Convertible Subordinated Notes	CONVERTIBLE SUBORDINATED NOTES On March 19, 2014, we issued $143.75 million aggregate principal amount of 2.75% Convertible Subordinated Notes due 2021 (the “Convertible Notes”). The Convertible Notes have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and were offered only to “qualified institutional buyers” in compliance with Rule 144A under the Securities Act. The Convertible Notes are governed by an indenture dated as of March 19, 2014 between Wilmington Trust, National Association, as Trustee, and us (the “Indenture”). The Convertible Notes bear interest at 2.75% . Interest on the Convertible Notes accrues from March 19, 2014 and is payable semi-annually in arrears on March 15 and September 15 of each year, beginning September 15, 2014. The Convertible Notes are general unsecured obligations and are subordinated in the right of payment to all of our existing and future senior indebtedness and equal in right of payment with our other existing and future subordinated indebtedness. The initial conversion rate of the Convertible Notes is 44.3169 shares of our common stock per $1,000 principal amount of the Convertible Notes, equivalent to an initial conversion price of approximately $22.56 per share of common stock. The conversion rate is subject to adjustment upon the occurrence of certain events, as described in the Indenture. The Convertible Notes mature on March 15, 2021 , unless earlier converted or purchased by us. The conversion option of the Convertible Notes is not an embedded derivative. Holders of the Convertible Notes may convert their Convertible Notes at their option at any time prior to December 15, 2020, if certain conditions are met. We may not redeem the Convertible Notes prior to maturity. However, in the event of a fundamental change (as defined in the Indenture), subject to certain conditions, a holder of the Convertible Notes will have the option to require us to purchase all or a portion of its Convertible Notes for cash. The fundamental change purchase price will equal 100% of the principal amount of the Convertible Notes to be purchased, plus any accrued and unpaid interest up to, but excluding, the fundamental change purchase date. We have recorded the issuance of the Convertible Notes per the guidance provided under ASC 470, Topic 20, Debt with Conversion and Other Options, which requires that we separate the Convertible Notes into a liability component and an equity component. The carrying amount of the liability is calculated by measuring the fair value of a similar liability that does not have an associated equity component. The carrying amount of the liability component was determined based on a bond discount rate of 6.75% per year. The carrying amount of the equity component representing the embedded conversion option was determined by deducting the fair value of the liability component from the initial proceeds of the Convertible Notes and is recorded in Additional Paid in Capital (“APIC”) on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. The excess of the principal amount of the liability over its carrying amount is amortized to interest expense using the effective interest method. The expected life of the liability component will not be reassessed in subsequent periods unless the terms are modified. We received gross proceeds of $143.75 million and paid transaction costs of approximately $4.7 million . We used a portion of the proceeds to repay our outstanding balance on our revolving credit facility and to redeem our existing convertible junior subordinated debentures. Refer to Note 15 herein for further discussion of the redemption of the convertible junior subordinated debentures. Total transaction costs of $4.7 million were allocated to the liability and equity components in proportion to the allocation of the initial proceeds and accounted for as debt issuance costs and equity issuance costs, respectively. Debt issuance costs are included in Deferred charges and other non-current assets on our Consolidated Balance Sheets and are being amortized using the effective interest method over the seven year term of the Convertible Notes. Equity issuance costs are included in APIC on our Consolidated Balance Sheets and are not amortized. Additionally, the recognition of the Convertible Notes as two separate components results in a basis difference associated with the liability component which represents a temporary tax difference. As a result, we recognized a deferred tax liability of $12.7 million related to this temporary difference which was recorded as a reduction to APIC and an increase to our deferred tax liability. The deferred tax liability is being amortized over the seven year term of the Convertible Notes. The carrying values of the liability and equity components of the Convertible Notes at December 31, 2015 are reflected on our Consolidated Balance Sheets as follows (in thousands): December 31, 2014 December 31, 2015 Long-term liabilities: Principal amount $ 143,750 $ 143,750 Unamortized discount of liability component (29,208 ) (25,754 ) Carrying value of the liability component $ 114,542 $ 117,996 Equity component carrying value $ 17,973 $ 17,973 The fair value of the Convertible Notes, which are Level 2 measurements, was approximately $170.5 million at December 31, 2015 . Interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2015 included contractual coupon interest expense of $4.0 million and amortization of debt issuance costs of $0.5 million . Accretion of the discount on the Convertible Notes was approximately $3.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 . The unamortized discount is being amortized over the remaining term of 62 months . The effective interest rate on the liability component for the year ended December 31, 2015 was 6.75% per year. The aggregate maturities of our Convertible Notes for the five years subsequent to December 31, 2015 and thereafter are as follows (in thousands): Principal Maturity Discount Amortization Present Value Years ending December 31, 2016 $ — $ (3,867 ) $ (3,867 ) 2017 — (4,328 ) (4,328 ) 2018 — (4,844 ) (4,844 ) 2019 — (5,422 ) (5,422 ) 2020 — (6,068 ) (6,068 ) 2021 and thereafter 143,750 (1,225 ) 142,525 $ 143,750 $ (25,754 ) $ 117,996

Convertible Junior Subordinated

Convertible Junior Subordinated Debentures Payable to Affiliate and Company Obligated Mandatorily Redeemable Convertible preferred Securities of Carriage Services Capital Trust	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Investments, Debt and Equity Securities [Abstract]
Convertible Junior Subordinated Debenture Payable to Affiliate and Company Obligated Mandatorily Redeemable Convertible Preferred Securities of Carriage Services Capital Trust	CONVERTIBLE JUNIOR SUBORDINATED DEBENTURES PAYABLE TO AFFILIATE AND COMPANY OBLIGATED MANDATORILY REDEEMABLE CONVERTIBLE PREFERRED SECURITIES OF CARRIAGE SERVICES CAPITAL TRUST Carriage’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Carriage Services Capital Trust, issued 1,875,000 units of 7% convertible preferred securities (TIDES) in June 1999, resulting in approximately $90.0 million in net proceeds, and the Company issued a 7% convertible junior subordinated debenture to Carriage Services Capital Trust in the amount of $93.75 million . The convertible preferred securities had a liquidation amount of $50 per unit and were convertible into Carriage’s common stock at the equivalent conversion price of $20.4375 per share of common stock. The convertible junior subordinated debentures and the TIDES were due to mature in 2029, and the TIDES were guaranteed on a subordinated basis by the Company. At December 31, 2014 , the amount outstanding under the convertible junior subordinated debentures totaled $89.8 million . On March 17, 2014, we called for the redemption of all our outstanding convertible junior subordinated debentures and the corresponding TIDES at a price $50 per $50 principal amount of the convertible junior subordinated debentures being redeemed, plus accrued and unpaid interest to the redemption date. In the first quarter of 2014, we used a portion of the net proceeds from the issuance of the Convertible Notes to redeem the convertible junior subordinated debentures for approximately $61.9 million in principal amount of our existing convertible junior subordinated debentures and approximately $0.9 million associated with the call premium. The remaining TIDES principal balance of $27.9 million was redeemed in April 2014.

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES	COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Leases We lease certain office facilities, certain funeral homes, vehicles and equipment under operating leases with original terms ranging from one to twelve years . Certain of these leases provide for an annual adjustment and contain options for renewal. Rent expense totaled $6.6 million , $6.4 million and $6.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2013 , 2014 and 2015 , respectively. Assets acquired under capital leases are included in property, plant and equipment in our accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets in the amount of $3.1 million in 2014 and $2.9 million in 2015 , net of accumulated depreciation. Capital lease obligations are included in current and long-term debt as indicated below. At December 31, 2015 , future minimum lease payments under non-cancelable lease agreements were as follows: Future Minimum Lease Payments Operating Leases Capital Leases (in thousands) Years ending December 31, 2016 $ 4,790 $ 477 2017 4,111 483 2018 3,174 421 2019 2,900 388 2020 2,041 334 Thereafter 1,718 3,329 Total future minimum lease payments $ 18,734 $ 5,432 Less: amount representing interest (rates ranging from 7% to 11.5%) (2,334 ) Less: current portion of obligations under capital leases (223 ) Long-term obligations under capital leases $ 2,875 Non-Compete, Consulting and Employment Agreements We have various non-compete agreements with former owners and employees. These agreements are generally for one to ten years and provide for periodic payments over the term of the agreements. We have various consulting agreements with former owners of businesses we have acquired. Payments for such agreements are generally not made in advance. These agreements are generally for one to ten years and provide for bi-weekly or monthly payments. We have employment agreements with our executive officers and certain senior leadership. These agreements are generally for three or four years and provide for participation in various incentive compensation arrangements. These agreements automatically renew on an annual basis after their initial term has expired. At December 31, 2015 , the maximum estimated future cash commitments under these agreements with remaining commitment terms, and with original terms of more than one year, are as follows: Non-Compete Consulting Employment Total (in thousands) Years ending December 31, 2016 $ 1,612 $ 1,366 $ 2,135 $ 5,113 2017 1,296 1,281 1,205 3,782 2018 986 673 205 1,864 2019 776 440 — 1,216 2020 500 307 — 807 Thereafter 458 235 — 693 $ 5,628 $ 4,302 $ 3,545 $ 13,475 401(K) Plan We sponsor a defined contribution plan (401K) for the benefit of our employees. Matching contributions and plan administrative expenses totaled $1.4 million , $1.6 million and $1.7 million for 2013 , 2014 and 2015 , respectively. We do not offer any post-retirement or post-employment benefits. Other Commitments We have an agreement to outsource the processing of transactions for the cemetery business and certain accounting activities. This agreement can be terminated for various reasons upon written notification from either us or the contractor. Payments vary based on the level of resources provided. We incurred costs of approximately $1.9 million each year for services rendered under this agreement in the years ended December 31, 2013 , 2014 and 2015 , respectively, of which we paid approximately $1.0 million each year, with the remainder paid by the trust. In November 2015, we notified the contractor of our intent to terminate the contract effective April 30, 2016. Upon which time, all processing will return in-house and we will retain most of the resources that currently reside in our home office. We believe we will not incur additional costs under the new arrangement. Litigation We are a party to various litigation matters and proceedings. For each of our outstanding legal matters, we evaluate the merits of the case, our exposure to the matter, possible legal or settlement strategies, and the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome. We intend to defend ourselves in the lawsuits described herein. If we determine that an unfavorable outcome is probable and can be reasonably estimated, we establish the necessary accruals. We hold certain insurance policies that may reduce cash outflows with respect to an adverse outcome of certain of these litigation matters. Leathermon, et al. v. Grandview Memorial Gardens, Inc., et al., United States District Court, Southern District of Indiana, Case No. 4:07-cv-137. On August 17, 2007, five plaintiffs filed a putative class action against the current and past owners of Grandview Cemetery in Madison, Indiana, including our subsidiaries that owned the cemetery from January 1997 until February 2001, on behalf of all individuals who purchased cemetery and burial goods and services at Grandview Cemetery. Plaintiffs sought monetary damages and claim that the cemetery owners performed burials negligently, breached Plaintiffs’ contracts and made misrepresentations regarding the cemetery. The Plaintiffs also allege that the claims occurred prior, during and after we owned the cemetery. On October 15, 2007, the case was removed from Jefferson County Circuit Court, Indiana to the Southern District of Indiana. On April 24, 2009, shortly before the Defendants had been scheduled to file their briefs in opposition to Plaintiffs’ motion for class certification, Plaintiffs moved to amend their complaint to add new class representatives and claims, while also seeking to abandon other claims. We, as well as several other Defendants, opposed Plaintiffs’ motion to amend their complaint and add parties. In April 2009, two Defendants moved to disqualify Plaintiffs’ counsel from further representing Plaintiffs in this action. On June 30, 2010, the court granted Defendants’ motion to disqualify Plaintiffs’ counsel. On May 6, 2010, Plaintiffs filed a petition for writ of mandamus with the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals seeking relief from the trial court’s order of disqualification of counsel. On May 19, 2010, the Defendants responded to the petition of mandamus. On July 8, 2010, the Seventh Circuit denied Plaintiffs’ petition for writ of mandamus. Thus, pursuant to the trial court’s order, Plaintiffs were given 60 days from July 8, 2010 in which to retain new counsel to prosecute this action on their behalf. Plaintiffs retained new counsel and Plaintiffs’ counsel moved for leave to amend both the class representatives and the allegations stated within the complaint. Defendants filed oppositions to such amendments. The court issued an order permitting the Plaintiffs to proceed with amending the class representatives and a portion of their claims; however, certain of Plaintiffs’ claims have been dismissed. The parties reached a proposed class settlement, and the court granted its preliminary approval of such settlement by order dated March 19, 2014. Notice of the class settlement was provided pursuant to the Preliminary Order Approving Class Action Settlement, and no settlement class members opted out of the class nor objected to the terms of the settlement. The court issued its final approval of the settlement on June 23, 2014. Pursuant to the terms of the final settlement agreement, we have funded our obligations to the settlement class members by transferring the necessary funds to a settlement account; and the designated claims administrator is now administering the settlement in accordance with its terms.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Tax Disclosure	INCOME TAXES The provision (benefit) for income taxes from continuing operations for the years ended December 31, 2013 , 2014 and 2015 consisted of (in thousands): Year Ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 Current: U. S. federal provision (benefit) $ (672 ) $ 1,188 $ 9,840 State provision (benefit) (522 ) 772 862 Total current provision (benefit) $ (1,194 ) $ 1,960 $ 10,702 Deferred: U. S. federal provision $ 8,708 $ 5,117 $ 1,928 State provision (benefit) 1,731 178 1,107 Total deferred provision $ 10,439 $ 5,295 $ 3,035 Total income tax provision $ 9,245 $ 7,255 $ 13,737 A reconciliation of taxes from continuing operations calculated at the U.S. federal statutory rate to those reflected in the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2013 , 2014 and 2015 is as follows (in thousands): Year Ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 Amount Percent Amount Percent Amount Percent Federal statutory rate $ 8,284 34.0 % $ 7,719 34.0 % $ 12,105 35.0 % Effect of state income taxes, net of federal benefit 1,462 6.0 831 3.7 1,618 4.7 Effect of non-deductible expenses and other, net (633 ) (2.6 ) 583 2.6 155 0.4 Change in valuation allowance 132 0.5 (138 ) (0.6 ) (141 ) (0.4 ) Reduction for tax year 2011 federal audit — — (1,740 ) (7.7 ) — — Total $ 9,245 37.9 % $ 7,255 32.0 % $ 13,737 39.7 % On August 1, 2014, we received notification that the IRS completed its examination of our tax year ended December 31, 2011. As a result, we have re-measured our tax liability for unrecognized tax benefits reflecting a reduction to our liability by $7.3 million . This change resulted in a tax benefit recognized in the amount of $1.7 million which reduced our effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2014 . The remainder of the re-measurement resulted in an increase to Deferred tax liability in the amount of $5.6 million . Additionally, we recognized a credit to interest expense of $0.6 million related to the settled portion of the uncertain tax position. The following table summarizes our unrecognized tax benefit as of December 31, 2014 and 2015 (in thousands): December 31, 2014 December 31, 2015 Unrecognized tax benefit $ 515 $ 814 Interest accrued on unrecognized tax benefits $ — $ 44 The tax effects of temporary differences from total operations that give rise to significant deferred tax assets and liabilities at December 31, 2014 and 2015 were as follows (in thousands): Year Ended December 31, 2014 2015 Deferred income tax assets: Net operating loss carryforwards $ 2,735 $ 2,132 Tax credit carryforwards 127 133 State bonus depreciation 1,513 993 Accrued liabilities and other 9,115 9,949 Amortization of non-compete agreements 815 897 Preneed liabilities, net 9,935 10,324 Total deferred income tax assets 24,240 24,428 Less valuation allowance (330 ) (189 ) Total deferred income tax assets $ 23,910 $ 24,239 Deferred income tax liabilities: Amortization and depreciation $ (43,441 ) $ (48,318 ) Convertible subordinated notes due 2021 (11,685 ) (10,184 ) Prepaids and other (1,448 ) (1,436 ) Total deferred income tax liabilities (56,574 ) (59,938 ) Total net deferred tax liabilities $ (32,664 ) $ (35,699 ) Current deferred tax asset $ 3,750 $ 4,257 Non-current deferred tax liabilities (36,414 ) (39,956 ) Total net deferred tax liabilities $ (32,664 ) $ (35,699 ) The current deferred tax asset is included in Other current assets at December 31, 2014 and 2015 . The non-current deferred tax liability is disclosed on a separate line item on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. We record a valuation allowance to reflect the estimated amount of deferred tax assets for which realization is uncertain. Management reviews the valuation allowance at the end of each quarter and makes adjustments if it is determined that it is more likely than not that the tax benefits will be realized. We recognized a net decrease of $0.1 million in our valuation allowance during 2015 . For federal income tax reporting purposes, we have no net operating loss carryforwards. For state reporting purposes, we have approximately $46.2 million of net operating loss carryforwards that will expire between 2016 and 2035, if not utilized. Based on management’s assessment of the various state net operating losses, it was determined that it is more likely than not that the we will be able to realize tax benefits on some portion of the amount of the state losses. The valuation allowance at December 31, 2015 was attributable to the deferred tax asset related to a portion of the state operating losses. We analyze tax benefits for uncertain tax positions and how they are to be recognized, measured, and derecognized in financial statements; provide certain disclosures of uncertain tax matters; and specify how reserves for uncertain tax positions should be classified on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. We have reviewed our income tax positions and identified certain tax deductions, primarily related to business acquisitions that are not certain. Our policy with respect to potential penalties and interest is to record them as “Other” expense and “Interest” expense, respectively. The entire balance of unrecognized tax benefits at December 31, 2015 , if recognized, would affect our effective tax rate. We do not anticipate a significant increase or decrease in our unrecognized tax benefits during the next twelve months. We have unrecognized tax benefits for federal and state income tax purposes totaling $0.8 million as of December 31, 2015 , resulting primarily from deductions totaling $1.6 million on federal and state returns. We have accounted for these unrecognized tax benefits by booking a FIN 48 liability. A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits is as follows (in thousands): Year Ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 Unrecognized tax benefit at beginning of year $ 7,747 $ 7,832 $ 515 Reductions based on tax positions related to the prior year (93 ) — — Reductions for tax year 2011 federal audit — (7,310 ) — Additions based on tax positions related to the current year 209 — 299 Reductions as a result of a lapse of the applicable statute of limitations (31 ) (7 ) — Unrecognized tax benefit at end of year $ 7,832 $ 515 $ 814 The entire balance of unrecognized tax benefits, if recognized, would affect our effective tax rate. For the year ended December 31, 2015 , we did not recognize any penalties, but we did recognize interest in our Consolidated Balance Sheets and our Consolidated Statements of Operations. Our federal income tax returns for 2012 through 2014 are open tax years that may be examined by the Internal Revenue Service. Our unrecognized state tax benefits are related to state returns open from 2012 through 2015 .

Stockholders' Equity

Stockholders' Equity	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]
Stockholders' Equity	STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY Share Authorization We are authorized to issue 80,000,000 shares of common stock, $0.01 per share par value. We had 22,497,873 and 22,434,609 shares issued and outstanding, net of 5,849,316 and 3,921,651 shares held in treasury at par, at December 31, 2015 and 2014 , respectively. Stock Based Compensation Plans At December 31, 2015 , we had one stock benefit plan in effect under which stock option grants or restricted stock have been issued or remain outstanding: the Second Amended and Restated 2006 Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “Amended and Restated 2006 Plan”). All of the options granted under this plan have either five , seven or ten -year terms. The Amended and Restated 2006 Plan expires on May 24, 2022. The expiration and termination of these plans does not affect the options previously issued and outstanding. All stock-based plans are administered by the Compensation Committee appointed by our Board of Directors (the “Board”). The Amended and Restated 2006 Plan provides for grants of options as non-qualified options or incentive stock options, restricted stock, stock appreciation rights and performance awards. Option grants are required by the Amended and Restated 2006 Plan to be issued with an exercise price equal to or greater than the fair market value of Carriage’s common stock as determined by the average of the high and low closing price on the date of the option grant. The status of the Amended and Restated 2006 Plan at December 31, 2015 is as follows (shares in thousands): Shares Reserved Shares Available to Issue Options Outstanding Amended and Restated 2006 Plan 5,000 1,157 1,695 Employee Stock Options Employee stock options have historically been granted annually, as approved by the Compensation Committee of the Board. The options are granted with an exercise price equal to the market price of our common stock on the date of grant. We utilize the Black-Scholes option valuation model for estimating the fair value of our stock options. This model allows the use of a range of assumptions related to volatility, risk-free interest rate, expected holding period and dividend yield. The expected volatility utilized in the valuation model is based on the historical volatility of our stock price. The dividend yield and expected holding period are based on historical experience and management's estimate of future events. The risk-free interest rate is derived from the U.S. Treasury yield curve based on the expected life of the option in effect at the time of grant. The fair values of our stock options were calculated using the following weighted average of assumptions, based on the methods described above for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2014 and 2015: 2013 2014 2015 Dividend yield 0.59 % 0.50 % 0.44 % Expected volatility 33.63 % 33.34 % 32.62 % Risk-free interest rate 0.41 % 0.99 % 1.13 % Expected holding period (years) 3.6 3.7 3.6 During the first quarter of 2015, we granted 628,000 options to certain employees at a grant price of $22.58 and 25,000 options to a new employee at a grant price of $24.74 . These options will vest in 33.33% increments over a three year period and have a seven year term. The value of these stock options is approximately $3.7 million . In 2014 , a total of 803,700 stock options were awarded, the value of which is approximately $4.1 million . In 2013 , a total of 562,500 stock options were awarded, the value of which is approximately $2.3 million . A summary of the stock options at December 31, 2013 , 2014 and 2015 and changes during the three years ended December 31, 2015 is presented in the table and narrative below (shares in thousands): Year Ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 Shares Wtd. Avg. Ex. Price Shares Wtd. Avg. Ex. Price Shares Wtd. Avg. Ex. Price Outstanding at beginning of period 312 $ 5.41 766 $ 13.03 1,381 $ 17.07 Granted 563 $ 16.73 804 $ 20.20 653 $ 22.66 Exercised (45 ) $ 5.33 (68 ) $ 5.47 (110 ) $ 14.36 Canceled or expired (64 ) $ 13.82 (121 ) $ 18.80 (229 ) $ 20.39 Outstanding at end of year 766 $ 13.03 1,381 $ 17.07 1,695 $ 18.95 Exercisable at end of year 192 $ 5.36 329 $ 10.97 583 $ 15.00 The aggregate intrinsic value of the outstanding and exercisable stock options at December 31, 2015 was $8.7 million and $5.3 million , respectively. The total intrinsic value of options exercised during 2013 , 2014 and 2015 totaled $0.5 million , $1.0 million and $1.1 million , respectively. The total fair value of stock options vested during 2013 , 2014 and 2015 totaled approximately $0.2 million , $0.8 million and $1.8 million , respectively. We recorded compensation expense related to stock options totaling approximately $0.8 million , $1.6 million and $2.4 million in 2013 , 2014 and 2015 , respectively. The significant increase in expense for the year ended December 31, 2015 as compared to 2014 was due to additional expense of approximately $.9 million related to the 2015 grant of stock options. As of December 31, 2015 , there was $3.5 million of unrecognized compensation cost, net of estimated forfeitures, related to nonvested stock options expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of approximately two years. The following table further describes our outstanding stock options at December 31, 2015 : Options Outstanding Options Exercisable Actual Ranges of Exercise Prices Number Outstanding at 12/31/15 Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life Weighted-Average Exercise Price Number Exercisable at 12/31/15 Weighted-Average Exercise Price $4.78 - $5.94 149,021 5.31 $ 5.55 149,021 $ 5.55 $16.73 - $17.00 396,500 7.16 $ 16.73 254,498 $ 16.73 $20.26 - $22.58 1,149,868 4.62 $ 21.45 179,400 $ 20.39 $4.78 - $22.58 1,695,389 5.27 $ 18.95 582,919 $ 15.00 Employee Stock Purchase Plan We provide all employees the opportunity to purchase common stock through payroll deductions in our employee stock purchase plan (“ESPP”). Purchases are made quarterly; the price being 85% of the lower of the price on the first day of the plan entry date (beginning of a quarter) or the actual date of purchase (end of quarter). In 2015 , employees purchased a total of 44,074 shares at a weighted average price of $17.17 per share. In 2014 , employees purchased a total of 55,877 shares at a weighted average price of $15.50 per share. In 2013 , employees purchased a total of 76,272 shares at a weighted average price of $11.89 per share. Compensation expense for the ESPP totaling approximately $277,000 , $260,000 , and $197,000 was expensed in 2013 , 2014 and 2015 , respectively. The fair values of the right (option) to purchase shares under the ESPP are estimated at the date of purchase with the four quarterly purchase dates using the following assumptions: 2013 2014 2015 Dividend yield 0.6 % 0.6 % 0.4 % Expected volatility 41 % 33 % 24 % Risk-free interest rate 0.08%, 0.12%,0.135%, 0.15% 0.07%, 0.09%,0.11%, 0.13% 0.02%, 0.11%,0.18%, 0.25% Expected life (years) .25, .50, .75, 1.00 .25, .50, .75, 1.00 .25, .50, .75, 1.00 Expected volatilities are based on the historical volatility during the previous twelve months of the underlying common stock. The risk-free rate for the quarterly purchase periods is based on the U.S. Treasury yields in effect at the time of purchase. The expected life of the ESPP grants represents the calendar quarters from the beginning of the year to the purchase date (end of each quarter). Restricted Stock Grants From time to time, we issue shares of restricted common stock to certain officers, key employees and directors of the Company from our stock benefit plans. The restricted stock shares issued to officers and key employees vest in either 25% or 33.33% increments over four or three year terms, respectively. During the first quarter of 2015 , we issued restricted stock awards totaling 37,900 to certain employees that vest over a three year period and had an aggregate grant date market value of approximately $0.9 million . During the third quarter of 2015, we issued restricted stock awards totaling 4,837 to a new director, one-half that vests immediately and the remainder vests equally over a two year period and had an aggregate grant date market value of $0.1 million . A summary of the status of unvested restricted stock awards as of December 31, 2015 , and changes during 2015 , is presented below (shares in thousands): Unvested stock awards Shares Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Unvested at January 1, 2015 330 $ 16.20 Awards 43 22.40 Vestings (159 ) 10.64 Cancellations (11 ) 18.36 Unvested at December 31, 2015 202 $ 20.64 Related to the vesting of restricted stock awards previously awarded to our officers and key employees, we recorded compensation expense, which is included in general, administrative and other expenses, totaling $1.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2013 , $1.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2014 and $1.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2015 . As of December 31, 2015 , we had $5.2 million of total unrecognized compensation costs related to unvested restricted stock awards, which are expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of approximately 2.1 years. Performance-Based Stock Awards During the third quarter of 2012, the Compensation Committee of our Board granted performance-based awards (the “PBS Awards”) with both market and service vesting conditions to certain officers, employees and outside directors. No PBS Awards were granted during fiscal year 2013 or 2014. To the extent vested, each PBS Award represented the right to receive a specified number of shares of our common stock, subject to the grantee’s payment, with respect to each share of common stock subject to such PBS Award, of an amount equal to the greater of (a) the then-current market price per share of our common stock on the date such PBS Award was granted plus $0.50 or (b) $9.00 . Each PBS Award would have vested if on or before the fifth anniversary of the applicable grant date, the closing price of our common stock was greater than or equal to $21.50 on any three days, whether or not consecutive, within a period of 30 consecutive calendar days, subject to the applicable grantee’s continuous employment or service relationship with us through such date (the “Price Vesting Date”). However, if the Price Vesting Date occurred prior to the first anniversary of the grant date, then each PBS Award would not vest until the first anniversary of such grant date, subject to the applicable grantee's continued employment or service relationship with us through the first anniversary of the grant date. On January 3, 2014, we offered all grantees who held outstanding PBS Awards an opportunity to surrender their PBS Awards to us in exchange for cash payments equal to the product of (i) the difference between (x) $19.00 and (y) the applicable purchase price under their respective PBS Awards and (ii) the number of shares of our common stock subject to their PBS Awards (the “Cash Out Payments”). All outstanding PBS Awards were surrendered to us and canceled in exchange for Cash Out Payments of approximately $16.2 million . Of this amount, $3.2 million was paid to the Board. Director Compensation Plans Our Director Compensation Policy provides for the following: (i) the chairman of our Audit Committee receives an annual cash retainer of $17,500 , the chairman of our Compensation and Corporate Governance Committees receives an annual cash retainer of $15,000 and the Lead Director of our Board receives an annual cash retainer of $115,000 , payable in quarterly installments; and (ii) each independent director of our Board receives an annual cash retainer of $40,000 paid on a quarterly basis and an annual equity retainer of $75,000 in shares of our common stock issued at our annual meeting of stockholders. Additionally, each independent director receives $2,000 for each regular or special meeting of the full Board and our Audit Committee attended in person or by phone. Members of the other committees and their chairmen receive $1,600 for each committee meeting held in person or by phone that such director attends. Under our Director Compensation Policy, the annual cash retainers for each committee chairman and the annual equity retainer are paid on the date of our annual meeting of stockholders, which for this year was held on May 19, 2015. On May 19, 2015, we issued shares of our common stock totaling 8,859 to three independent directors for such retainer. One new director joined our Board during the third quarter 2015, at which time he was issued 4,837 restricted stock awards valued at approximately $0.1 million . One-half of those shares vested immediately; the remainder vest over two years. We recorded $0.8 million , $0.8 million and $0.7 million , respectively, in pre-tax compensation expense, which is included in general, administrative and other expenses, for each of the years ended December 31, 2013 , 2014 and 2015 related to the director fees, annual retainers and deferred compensation amortization. Cash Dividends Our Board declared four quarterly dividends of $0.025 per share, totaling approximately $1.8 million , which were paid on March 2, 2015, June 1, 2015, September 1, 2015 and December 1, 2015, respectively, to record holders of our common stock as of February 13, 2015, May 14, 2015, August 14, 2015 and November 13, 2015, respectively. We have a dividend reinvestment program so that stockholders may elect to reinvest their dividends into additional shares of our common stock. Accumulated other comprehensive income Our components of Accumulated other comprehensive income are as follows: Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Balance at December 31, 2014 $ — Increase in net unrealized gains associated with available-for-sale securities of the trusts (22,573 ) Reclassification of net unrealized gain activity attributable to the Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust and Care trusts’ corpus’ 22,573 Balance at December 31, 2015 $ —

Share Repurchase Program

Share Repurchase Program	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Class of Stock Disclosures [Abstract]
Share Repurchase Program	SHARE REPURCHASE PROGRAM On May 19, 2015, our Board approved a share repurchase program authorizing us to purchase up to an aggregate of $25.0 million of our common stock in accordance with the Exchange Act. On September 28, 2015, our Board authorized additional repurchases of $20.0 million of our common stock bringing the total authorized repurchase amount to $45.0 million . During 2015, we purchased 1,927,665 shares of our common stock for a total cost of $45.0 million , representing the entire authorized repurchase amount, at an average cost of $23.34 per share. Our shares were purchased in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions. Purchases were at times and in amounts as management determined appropriate based on factors such as market conditions, legal requirements and other business considerations. Shares purchased pursuant to the repurchase program are currently held as treasury shares.

Earnings Per Share

Earnings Per Share	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings Per Share	EARNINGS PER SHARE Share-based awards that contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents, whether paid or unpaid, are participating securities and included in the computation of both basic and diluted earnings per share. Our grants of restricted stock awards to our employees and directors are considered participating securities and we have prepared our earnings per share calculations to exclude outstanding unvested restricted stock awards, using the two-class method, in the basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding calculation. The following table sets forth the computation of the basic and diluted earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 2013 , 2014 and 2015 : Year Ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 (in thousands, except per share data) Numerator for basic earnings per share: Numerator from continuing operations Income from continuing operations $ 15,120 $ 15,446 $ 20,853 Less: Earnings allocated to unvested restricted stock (314 ) (295 ) (257 ) Income attributable to continuing operations $ 14,806 $ 15,151 $ 20,596 Numerator from discontinued operations Income from discontinued operations $ 4,176 $ 392 $ — Less: Earnings allocated to unvested restricted stock (85 ) (8 ) — Income attributable to discontinued operations $ 4,091 $ 384 $ — Numerator for diluted earnings per share: Adjustment for diluted earnings per share: Interest on convertible junior subordinated debentures, net of tax $ 3,454 $ — $ — $ 3,454 $ — $ — Income attributable to continuing operations $ 18,260 $ 15,151 $ 20,596 Income attributable to discontinuing operations $ 4,091 $ 384 $ — Denominator Denominator for basic earnings per common share - weighted average shares outstanding 17,826 18,108 17,791 Effect of dilutive securities: Stock options 175 149 246 Convertible junior subordinated debentures 4,392 — — Convertible subordinated notes — — 276 Denominator for diluted earnings per common share - weighted average shares outstanding 22,393 18,257 18,313 Basic earnings per common share: Continuing operations $ 0.83 $ 0.84 $ 1.16 Discontinued operations 0.23 0.02 — Basic earnings per common share $ 1.06 $ 0.86 $ 1.16 Diluted earnings per common share: Continuing operations $ 0.82 $ 0.83 $ 1.12 Discontinued operations 0.18 0.02 — Diluted earnings per common share $ 1.00 $ 0.85 $ 1.12 The fully diluted weighted average shares outstanding for the year ended December 31, 2015 , and the corresponding calculation of fully diluted earnings per share, included approximately 0.3 million shares that would have been issued upon the conversion of our convertible subordinated notes as a result of the application of the if-converted method prescribed by the FASB ASC 260. There were no shares for the year ended December 31, 2014 that would have been issued upon conversion under the if-converted method for our convertible subordinated notes. The fully diluted weighted average shares outstanding for the year ended December 31, 2013 , and the corresponding calculation of fully diluted earnings per share, included approximately 4.4 million shares that would have been issued upon conversion of our convertible junior subordinated debentures as a result of the application of the if-converted method prescribed by ASC 260. The convertible junior subordinated debentures were redeemed in March and April 2014. As a result, there was no impact on our calculation of fully diluted earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2015 . Options to purchase 0.5 million shares were not included in the computation of diluted earnings per share for the year ended December 31, 2013 , because the effect would be anti-dilutive as the exercise prices exceeded the average market price of the common shares. There were no options excluded in the computation of diluted earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2015 .

Major Segments of Business

Major Segments of Business	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
MAJOR SEGMENTS OF BUSINESS	MAJOR SEGMENTS OF BUSINESS We conduct funeral and cemetery operations only in the United States. The following table presents external revenues from continuing operations, net income (loss) from continuing operations, total assets, long-lived assets, depreciation and amortization from continuing operations, capital expenditures, number of operating locations, interest expense from continuing operations, and income tax expense (benefit) from continuing operations by segment: Funeral Cemetery Corporate Consolidated (in thousands, except number of operating locations) External revenues from continuing operations: 2015 $ 185,818 $ 56,684 $ — $ 242,502 2014 173,735 52,389 — 226,124 2013 163,082 49,992 — 213,074 Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes: 2015 $ 58,404 $ 17,492 $ (41,306 ) $ 34,590 2014 53,385 15,180 (45,864 ) 22,701 2013 48,206 14,679 (38,520 ) 24,365 Total assets: 2015 $ 591,389 $ 229,479 $ 16,485 $ 837,353 2014 568,842 240,009 18,677 827,528 2013 502,525 227,520 16,554 746,599 Long-lived assets: 2015 $ 472,419 $ 89,866 $ 3,370 $ 565,655 2014 437,735 88,467 1,835 528,037 2013 373,173 85,901 2,654 461,728 Depreciation and amortization from continuing operations: 2015 $ 7,614 $ 4,420 $ 1,746 $ 13,780 2014 6,841 3,704 1,378 11,923 2013 6,440 3,739 1,456 11,635 Capital expenditures: 2015 $ 27,654 $ 5,332 $ 2,838 $ 35,824 2014 16,804 5,606 1,265 23,675 2013 6,436 2,936 1,323 10,695 Number of operating locations at year end: 2015 167 32 — 199 2014 164 32 — 196 2013 161 32 — 193 Interest expense: 2015 $ 577 $ 8 $ 9,974 $ 10,559 2014 316 17 9,975 10,308 2013 323 36 12,263 12,622 Income tax expense (benefit) from continuing operations: 2015 $ 23,195 $ 6,947 $ (16,405 ) $ 13,737 2014 17,061 4,851 (14,657 ) 7,255 2013 18,270 5,563 (14,588 ) 9,245

Supplementary Information

Supplementary Information	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Supplemental Income Statement Elements [Abstract]
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS INFORMATION	SUPPLEMENTARY DATA Balance Sheet The detail of certain balance sheet accounts as of December 31, 2014 and 2015 is as follows: December 31, 2014 2015 (in thousands) Other Current Assets: Deferred taxes $ 3,750 $ 4,256 Income tax receivables 3,293 279 Other current assets 101 172 Total other current assets $ 7,144 $ 4,707 Accrued Liabilities: Accrued salaries and wages $ 2,073 $ 2,383 Accrued incentive compensation 5,660 5,862 Accrued vacation 1,978 2,239 Accrued insurance 2,171 2,246 Accrued interest 1,232 1,295 Accrued ad valorem and franchise taxes 537 604 Accrued commissions 654 470 Other accrued liabilities 898 1,442 Total accrued liabilities $ 15,203 $ 16,541 Revenues and Costs and Expenses The detail of certain income statement accounts for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2014 and 2015 is as follows: Year Ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 (in thousands) Revenues: Goods Funeral $ 64,409 $ 66,877 $ 71,399 Cemetery 30,392 32,300 35,479 Total goods $ 94,801 $ 99,177 $ 106,878 Services Funeral $ 89,442 $ 97,375 $ 104,969 Cemetery 10,087 10,556 11,178 Total services $ 99,529 $ 107,931 $ 116,147 Financial revenue Preneed funeral commission income $ 1,853 $ 2,036 $ 1,484 Preneed funeral trust earnings 7,378 7,447 7,966 Cemetery trust earnings 8,095 8,123 8,440 Cemetery finance charges 1,418 1,410 1,587 Total financial revenue $ 18,744 $ 19,016 $ 19,477 Total revenues $ 213,074 $ 226,124 $ 242,502 Cost of revenues: Goods Funeral $ 52,362 $ 54,421 $ 56,819 Cemetery 22,222 23,800 24,600 Total goods $ 74,584 $ 78,221 $ 81,419 Services Funeral $ 46,030 $ 49,357 $ 51,236 Cemetery 6,543 6,860 6,924 Total services $ 52,573 $ 56,217 $ 58,160 Financial expenses Preneed funeral commissions $ 1,213 $ 1,078 $ 1,031 Trust administration fees 227 249 353 Total financial expenses $ 1,440 $ 1,327 $ 1,384 Total cost of revenues $ 128,597 $ 135,765 $ 140,963 The costs of revenues, for purposes of this supplemental disclosure, include only field costs and expenses that are directly allocable between the goods, services and financial categories in the funeral and cemetery segments. Depreciation and amortization and regional and unallocated funeral and cemetery costs are not included in this disclosure.

Quarterly Financial Data (Unaud

Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Quarterly Financial Information	QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED) The tables below set forth consolidated operating results by fiscal quarter for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2015 , in thousands, except earnings per share. First Quarter Second Quarter Third Quarter Fourth Quarter 2015 Revenues $ 63,253 $ 59,261 $ 58,378 $ 61,610 Gross profit 22,209 18,248 17,360 19,691 Net income from continuing operations $ 6,418 $ 4,557 $ 4,444 $ 5,434 Net income available to common stockholders $ 6,418 $ 4,557 $ 4,444 $ 5,434 Basic earnings per common share: $ 0.35 $ 0.25 $ 0.25 $ 0.32 Diluted earnings per common share: (a) $ 0.34 $ 0.24 $ 0.24 $ 0.31 2014 Revenues $ 55,652 $ 56,504 $ 54,549 $ 59,419 Gross profit 18,015 17,989 15,077 18,927 Net income from continuing operations $ 1,631 $ 3,883 $ 4,565 $ 5,367 Net income (loss) from discontinued operations 587 (637 ) 431 11 Net income available to common stockholders $ 2,218 $ 3,246 $ 4,996 $ 5,378 Basic earnings per common share: $ 0.12 $ 0.18 $ 0.27 $ 0.29 Diluted earnings per common share: (a) $ 0.12 $ 0.17 $ 0.26 $ 0.29 (a) Earnings per share are computed independently for each of the quarters presented. Therefore, the sum of the quarterly per share amounts, may not equal the total computed for 2014 and 2015 due to rounding.

Supplemental Disclosure of Cash

Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Supplemental Cash Flow Information [Abstract]
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION	SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURE OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION The following information is supplemental disclosure for the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (in thousands): Year Ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 Cash paid for interest and financing costs $ 12,248 $ 8,894 $ 9,159 Cash paid for taxes 655 2,674 8,283 Fair value of stock, stock options and performance awards issued to directors, officers, and certain other employees 3,822 8,219 4,879 Restricted common stock withheld for payroll taxes 1,610 1,305 1,580 Net withdrawals (deposits) from / into preneed funeral trusts (3,891 ) (418 ) 12,054 Net withdrawals (deposits) from / into preneed cemetery trusts (1,324 ) 1 8,681 Net withdrawals from perpetual care trusts 3,091 1,857 5,543 Net increase in preneed receivables (1,331 ) (1,731 ) (1,714 ) Net (deposits) withdrawals of receivables into / from preneed trusts 709 (1,643 ) (735 ) Net change in preneed funeral receivables increasing deferred revenue 860 677 483 Net change in preneed cemetery receivables increasing (decreasing) deferred revenue 327 (374 ) (154 ) Net (withdrawals) deposits from / into preneed funeral trust accounts (decreasing) increasing deferred preneed funeral receipts held in trust 3,891 418 (12,054 ) Net (withdrawals) deposits from / into preneed cemetery trust accounts (decreasing) increasing deferred cemetery receipts held in trust 1,324 (1 ) (8,681 ) Net withdrawals from perpetual care trust accounts decreasing care trusts’ corpus (2,949 ) (1,901 ) (5,726 )

Subsequent Events Subsequent Ev

Subsequent Events Subsequent Events	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Subsequent Events [Abstract]
Subsequent Events	SUBSEQUENT EVENTS On February 9, 2016, we entered into a seventh amendment (the “Seventh Amendment”) to our Credit Facility. The Seventh Amendment resulted in, among other things, (i) reducing our LIBOR based variable interest rate 37.5 basis points, (ii) extending the maturity so that the Credit Agreement will mature at the earlier of (a) any date that is 91 days prior to the maturity of any subordinated debt (including the $143.75 million in principal amount of the Convertible Notes) or (b) February 9, 2021, (iii) increasing and funding the term loan so that $150 million was outstanding upon the effectiveness of the Seventh Amendment, (iv) reducing the size of the revolver to $150 million , (v) increasing the accordion to $75 million and (vi) updating the amortization payments for the term loan facility so that the borrowings under the term loan facility are subject to amortization payments of $2.81 million at the end of each fiscal quarter beginning with the fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2016 through the fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2017, $3.75 million at the end of each fiscal quarter beginning with the fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2018 through the fiscal quarter ending March 31, 2020 and $4.69 million at the end of each fiscal quarter beginning with the fiscal quarter ending June 30, 2020 through the fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2020.

Valuation and Qualifying Accoun

Valuation and Qualifying Accounts	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts [Abstract]
Schedule of Valuation and Qualifying Accounts Disclosure	CARRIAGE SERVICES, INC. SCHEDULE II — VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS (in thousands) Description Balance at beginning of year Charged to costs and expenses Deduction Balance at end of year Year ended December 31, 2013: Allowance for bad debts, current portion $ 1,177 $ 1,225 $ 1,555 $ 847 Allowance for receivables from preneed funeral and cemetery trusts and contract cancellations, non-current portion $ 2,059 $ 768 $ 1,002 $ 1,825 Employee severance accruals $ 158 $ 755 $ 664 $ 249 Litigation reserves $ 108 $ — $ 91 $ 17 Valuation allowance of the deferred tax asset $ 317 $ 227 $ 76 $ 468 Year ended December 31, 2014: Allowance for bad debts, current portion $ 847 $ 1,705 $ 1,425 $ 1,127 Allowance for receivables from preneed funeral and cemetery trusts and contract cancellations, non-current portion $ 1,825 $ 1,284 $ 770 $ 2,339 Employee severance accruals $ 249 $ 681 $ 714 $ 216 Litigation reserves $ 17 $ — $ 14 $ 3 Valuation allowance of the deferred tax asset $ 468 $ — $ 138 $ 330 Year ended December 31, 2015: Allowance for bad debts, current portion $ 1,127 $ 966 $ 1,039 $ 1,054 Allowance for receivables from preneed funeral and cemetery trusts and contract cancellations, non-current portion $ 2,339 $ 712 $ 1,009 $ 2,042 Employee severance accruals $ 216 $ 698 $ 634 $ 280 Litigation reserves $ 3 $ — $ 3 $ — Valuation allowance of the deferred tax asset $ 330 $ — $ 141 $ 189

Basis Of Presentation And Sum33

Basis Of Presentation And Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Principles of Consolidation, Policy	Principles of Consolidation The accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements include the Company and its subsidiaries. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated.
Revenue Recognition, Sales of Services, Policy	Funeral and Cemetery Operations We record the revenue from sales of funeral and cemetery merchandise and services when the merchandise is delivered or the service is performed. Sales of cemetery interment rights are recorded as revenue in accordance with the retail land sales provisions for accounting for sales of real estate. This method provides for the recognition of revenue in the period in which the customer’s cumulative payments exceed 10% of the contract price related to the interment right. Costs related to the sales of interment rights, which include real property and other costs related to cemetery development activities, are charged to operations using the specific identification method in the period in which the sale of the interment right is recognized as revenue. Sales taxes collected are recognized on a net basis in our Consolidated Financial Statements. Allowances for bad debts and customer cancellations are provided at the date that the sale is recognized as revenue and are based on our historical experience and the current economic environment. We also monitor changes in delinquency rates and provide additional bad debt and cancellation reserves when warranted. When preneed sales of funeral services and merchandise are funded through third-party insurance policies, we earn a commission on the sale of the policies. Insurance commissions are recognized as revenues at the point at which the commission is no longer subject to refund, which is typically one year after the policy is issued. Preneed selling costs consist of sales commissions that we pay our sales counselors and other direct related costs of originating preneed sales contracts. These costs are expensed as incurred.
Preneed Contracts, Policy	Preneed Contracts We sell interment rights, merchandise and services prior to the time of need, which is referred to as preneed. In many instances the customer pays for the preneed contract over a period of time. Cash proceeds from preneed sales less amounts that we may retain under state regulations are deposited to a trust or used to purchase a third-party insurance policy. The principal and accumulated earnings of the trusts are generally withdrawn at maturity (death) or cancellation. The cumulative trust income earned and the increases in insurance benefits on the insurance products are deferred until the service is performed. The customer receivables and amounts deposited in trusts that we control are primarily included in the non-current asset section of our Consolidated Balance Sheets. The preneed funeral contracts secured by third party insurance policies are not recorded as assets or liabilities of the Company. In the opinion of management, the proceeds from the trust funds and the insurance policies at the time the preneed contracts mature will exceed the estimated future costs to perform services and provide products under such arrangements. The types of securities in which the trusts may invest are regulated by state agencies.
Preneed Funeral and Cemetery Trust Funds	Preneed Funeral and Cemetery Trust Funds Our preneed and perpetual care trust funds are reported in accordance with the principles of consolidating Variable Interest Entities (“VIE’s”). In the case of preneed trusts, the customers are the legal beneficiaries. In the case of perpetual care trusts, we do not have a right to access the corpus in the perpetual care trusts. We have recognized financial interests of third parties in the trust funds in our financial statements as Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust and Care trusts’ corpus . The investments of such trust funds are classified as available-for-sale and are reported at fair market value; therefore, the unrealized gains and losses, as well as accumulated and undistributed income and realized gains and losses are recorded to Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust and Care trusts’ corpus on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Our future obligations to deliver merchandise and services are reported at estimated settlement amounts. Preneed funeral and cemetery trust investments are reduced by the trust investment earnings that we have been allowed to withdraw in certain states prior to maturity. These earnings, along with preneed contract collections not required to be placed in trust, are recorded in Deferred preneed funeral revenue and Deferred preneed cemetery revenue until the service is performed or the merchandise is delivered. In accordance with respective state laws, we are required to deposit a specified amount into perpetual and memorial care trust funds for each interment/entombment right and certain memorials sold. Income from the trust funds is distributed to us and used to provide for the care and maintenance of the cemeteries and mausoleums. Such trust fund income is recognized as revenue when realized by the trust and distributable to us. We are restricted from withdrawing any of the principal balances of these funds. An enterprise is required to perform an analysis to determine whether the enterprise’s variable interest(s) give it a controlling financial interest in a VIE. This analysis identifies the primary beneficiary of a VIE as the enterprise that has both the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the entity’s economic performance and the obligation to absorb losses of the entity that could potentially be significant to the VIE or the right to receive benefits from the entity that could potentially be significant to the VIE. Our analysis continues to support our position as the primary beneficiary in the majority of our funeral and cemetery trust funds. Trust management fees are earned by us for investment management and advisory services that are provided by our wholly-owned registered investment advisor (“CSV RIA”). As of December 31, 2015 , CSV RIA provided these services to two institutions, which have custody of 79% of our trust assets, for a fee based on the market value of trust assets. Under state trust laws, we are allowed to charge the trust a fee for advising on the investment of the trust assets and these fees are recognized as income in the period in which services are provided. We determine whether or not the assets in the preneed trusts have an other-than-temporary impairment on a security-by-security basis. This assessment is made based upon a number of criteria including the length of time a security has been in a loss position, changes in market conditions and concerns related to the specific issuer. If a loss is considered to be other-than-temporary, the cost basis of the security is adjusted downward to its fair market value. Any reduction in the cost basis of the investment due to an other-than-temporary impairment is likewise recorded as a reduction in Deferred preneed cemetery receipts held in trust or Deferred preneed funeral receipts held in trust . There will be no impact on earnings unless and until such time that the investment is withdrawn from the trust in accordance with state regulations at an amount that is less than its original basis.
Cash and Cash Equivalents, Policy	Cash and Cash Equivalents We consider all highly liquid investments purchased with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents.
Inventory, Policy	Inventory Inventory consists primarily of caskets, outer burial containers and cemetery monuments and markers and is recorded at the lower of its cost basis (determined by the specific identification method) or net realizable value.
Property, Plant and Equipment, Policy	Property, Plant and Equipment Property, plant and equipment (including equipment under capital leases) are stated at cost. The costs of ordinary maintenance and repairs are charged to operations as incurred, while renewals and betterments are capitalized. Depreciation of property, plant and equipment (including equipment under capital leases) is computed based on the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives of the assets: Years Buildings and improvements 15 to 40 Furniture and fixtures 5 to 10 Machinery and equipment 3 to 15 Automobiles 5 to 7 Property, plant and equipment was comprised of the following at December 31, 2014 and 2015 : December 31, 2014 December 31, 2015 (in thousands) Land $ 66,957 $ 72,697 Buildings and improvements 148,483 173,540 Furniture, equipment and automobiles 66,020 71,943 Property, plant and equipment, at cost 281,460 318,180 Less: accumulated depreciation (95,249 ) (103,306 ) Property, plant and equipment, net $ 186,211 $ 214,874 During 2013 , 2014 and 2015 , we recorded approximately $8.8 million, $9.2 million and $10.4 million, respectively, of depreciation expense against operating income. Long-lived assets, such as property, plant and equipment subject to depreciation and amortization, are reviewed for impairment at least annually or whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable in accordance with the Property, Plant and Equipment Topic of the Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 360. This guidance requires that long-lived assets to be held and used are reported at the lower of their carrying amount or fair value. We assess long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value may be greater than the fair value. We evaluate our long-lived assets for impairment when a funeral home business has negative earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (“EBITDA”) for four consecutive years and if there has been a decline in EBITDA for four consecutive years. For our cemetery business, we analyze the long-lived assets for impairment if the business has a negative operating margin and a decline in operating margin over a four year period. We review our long-lived assets deemed held-for-sale to the point of recoverability. Assets to be disposed of and assets not expected to provide any future service potential are recorded at the lower of their carrying amount or fair value less estimated cost to sell. If we determine that the carrying value is not recoverable from the proceeds of the sale, we record an impairment at that time. For the year ended December 31, 2015, no impairments were identified on our long-lived assets.
Income Taxes, Policy	Income Taxes We and our subsidiaries file a consolidated United States Federal income tax return, separate income tax returns in 14 states in which we operate and combined or unitary income tax returns in 13 states in which we operate. We record deferred taxes for temporary differences between the tax basis and financial reporting basis of assets and liabilities. We record a valuation allowance to reflect the estimated amount of deferred tax assets for which realization is uncertain. Management reviews the valuation allowance at the end of each quarter and makes adjustments if it is determined that it is more likely than not that the tax benefits will be realized. We analyze tax benefits for uncertain tax positions and how they are to be recognized, measured and derecognized in financial statements; provide certain disclosures of uncertain tax matters; and specify how reserves for uncertain tax positions should be classified on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. We have reviewed our income tax positions and identified certain tax deductions, primarily related to business acquisitions that are not certain. Our policy with respect to potential penalties and interest is to record them as “Other” expense and “Interest” expense, respectively. The entire balance of unrecognized tax benefits, if recognized, would affect our effective tax rate.
Stock Plans and Stock-Based Compensation, Policy	Stock Plans and Stock-Based Compensation We have stock-based employee and director compensation plans under which we may grant restricted stock, stock options, performance awards and our employee stock purchase plan under which stock may be purchased. We recognize compensation expense in an amount equal to the fair value of the share-based awards expected to vest over the requisite service period. Fair value is determined on the date of the grant. The fair value of options or awards containing options is determined using the Black-Scholes valuation model. The fair value of the performance awards is determined using a Monte-Carlo simulation pricing model.
Computation of Earnings Per Common Share, Policy	Computation of Earnings Per Common Share Basic earnings per share is computed using the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share is computed using the weighted average number of common and dilutive common equivalent shares outstanding during the period. Dilutive common equivalent shares consist of stock options, convertible junior subordinated debentures and our Convertible Notes. Share-based awards that contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents, whether paid or unpaid, are recognized as participating securities and included in the computation of both basic and diluted earnings per share. Our grants of restricted stock awards to our employees and directors are considered participating securities, and we have prepared our earnings per share calculations attributable to common stockholders to exclude outstanding unvested restricted stock awards, using the two-class method, in both the basic and diluted weighted average shares outstanding calculation.
Fair Value Measurements, Policy	Fair Value Measurements We measure the available-for-sale securities held by our funeral merchandise and service, cemetery merchandise and service, and cemetery perpetual care trusts at fair value on a recurring basis in accordance with the Fair Value Measurements Topic of the ASC. This guidance defines fair value as the price that would be received in the sale of an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date for items that are recognized or disclosed at fair value in the financial statements on a recurring basis (at least annually). The guidance establishes a three-level valuation hierarchy for disclosure of fair value measurements. The valuation hierarchy is based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability as of the measurement date. The three levels are defined as follows: • Level 1 — inputs to the valuation methodology are quoted prices (unadjusted) for identical assets or liabilities in active markets; • Level 2 — inputs to the valuation methodology include quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets, and inputs that are observable for the asset or liability, either directly or indirectly, for substantially the full term of the financial instrument; and • Level 3 — inputs to the valuation methodology are unobservable and significant to the fair value measurement. We disclose the extent to which fair value is used to measure financial assets and liabilities, the inputs utilized in calculating valuation measurements, and the effect of the measurement of significant unobservable inputs on earnings, or changes in net assets, as of the measurement date. The fair value disclosures of transfers in and out of Levels 1 and 2 and the gross presentation of purchases, sales, issuances and settlements in the Level 3 reconciliation of the three-tier fair value hierarchy are also presented in Notes 6 and 10 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included herein. We currently do not have any assets that have fair values determined by Level 3 inputs and no liabilities measured at fair value. We have not elected to measure any additional financial instruments and certain other items at fair value that are not currently required to be measured at fair value. To determine the fair value of assets and liabilities in an environment where the volume and level of activity for the asset or liability have significantly decreased, the exit price is used as the fair value measurement. For the year ended December 31, 2015 , we did not incur significant decreases in the volume or level of activity of any asset or liability. We consider an impairment of debt and equity securities other-than-temporary unless (a) we have the ability and intent to hold an investment and (b) evidence indicating the cost of the investment is recoverable before we are more likely than not required to sell the investment. If an impairment is indicated, then an adjustment is made to reduce the carrying amount to fair value. For the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2015 , we recorded impairment charges of $0.4 million and $1.8 million , respectively, for other-than-temporary declines in fair value related to unrealized losses on certain investments. In the ordinary course of business, we are typically exposed to a variety of market risks. Currently, these are primarily related to changes in fair market values related to outstanding debts and changes in the values of securities associated with the preneed and perpetual care trusts. Management is actively involved in monitoring exposure to market risk and developing and utilizing risk management techniques when appropriate and when available for a reasonable price.
Business Combinations, Policy	Business Combinations
Discontinued Operations, Policy	Discontinued Operations Effective January 1, 2015, we adopted the Financial Accounting Standards Board's (“FASB”) new guidance for reporting discontinued operations. In April 2014, the FASB amended the definition of “discontinued operations” to include only disposals or held-for-sale classifications for components or groups of components of an entity that represent a strategic shift that either has or will have a major effect on the entity's operations or financial results. Examples of a strategic shift that has or will have a major effect on an entity's operations and financial results include a disposal of a major geographical area, line of business, equity method of investment or other parts of an entity. The new guidance also requires the disclosure of pre-tax income of disposals that do not qualify as discontinued operations. We continually review locations to optimize the sustainable earning power and return on our invested capital. These reviews could entail selling certain non-strategic businesses.
Goodwill, Policy	Goodwill The excess of the purchase price over the fair value of identifiable net assets of funeral home businesses acquired is recorded as goodwill. Goodwill has primarily been recorded in connection with the acquisition of funeral home businesses. Goodwill is tested annually for impairment by assessing the fair value of each of our reporting units. The funeral segment reporting units consist of our East, Central and West regions in the United States and we performed our annual impairment test of goodwill using information as of August 31, 2015. Under current guidance, we are permitted to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more-likely-than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step goodwill impairment test. We conducted qualitative assessments in 2014 and 2015; however, for our 2013 annual impairment test, we performed the two-step goodwill impairment test. Our intent is to perform the two-step test at least once every three years unless certain indicators or events suggest otherwise. The two-step goodwill impairment test involves estimates and management judgment. In the first step of our goodwill impairment testing, we compare the fair value of each reporting unit to its carrying value, including goodwill. If the fair value of the reporting unit exceeds its carrying amount, the goodwill of that reporting unit is not considered impaired, and the second step is not required. We determine fair value for each reporting unit using both a market approach, weighted 70% , and an income approach, weighted 30% . Our methodology for determining a market approach fair value utilizes recent sales transactions in the industry. Our methodology for determining an income-based fair value is based on discounting projected future cash flows. The projected future cash flows include assumptions concerning future operating performance that may differ from actual future cash flows using a weighted average cost of capital for the Company and other public deathcare companies. In accordance with the guidance, if the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, the second step of the goodwill impairment testing needs to be performed. This step compares the implied fair value of goodwill to the carrying amount of the reporting unit’s goodwill, and if the carrying amount exceeds the implied value, an impairment charge is recorded in an amount equal to the difference. In addition to our annual review, we assess the impairment of goodwill whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of a reporting unit may be greater than fair value. Factors that could trigger an interim impairment review include, but are not limited to, significant adverse changes in the business climate which may be indicated by a decline in our market capitalization or decline in operating results.
Intangible Assets, Policy	Intangible Assets Our intangible assets include tradenames resulting from acquisitions. Our tradenames are included in Deferred costs and other non-current assets on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Our tradenames are considered to have an indefinite life and are not subject to amortization. We test for impairment of intangible assets annually at year end in accordance with the ASC Intangibles Topic 350. Under current guidance, we are permitted to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more-likely-than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the two-step impairment test. We conducted qualitative assessments in 2013, 2014 and 2015. In addition to our annual review, we assess the impairment of intangible assets whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may be greater than the fair value. Factors that could trigger an interim impairment review include, but are not limited to, significant under performance relative to historical results and significant negative industry or economic trends.
Use of Estimates, Policy	Use of Estimates The preparation of our Consolidated Financial Statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. On an on-going basis, we evaluate our estimates and judgments, including those related to revenue recognition, realization of accounts receivable, goodwill, intangible assets, property and equipment and deferred tax assets and liabilities. We base our estimates on historical experience, third party data and assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. The results of these considerations form the basis for making judgments about the amount and timing of revenues and expenses, the carrying value of assets and the recorded amounts of liabilities. Actual results may differ from these estimates and such estimates may change if the underlying conditions or assumptions change. Historical performance should not be viewed as indicative of future performance, as there can be no assurance that our results of operations will be consistent from year to year.
Subsequent Events, Policy	Subsequent Events We have evaluated events and transactions during the period subsequent to December 31, 2015 through the date the financial statements were issued for potential recognition or disclosure in the accompanying financial statements covered by this report.
Recently Issued Accounting Standards, Policy	Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities In January 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”), Financial Instruments—Overall - Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities (Topic 825). The amendments in this ASU address certain aspects of recognition, measurement, presentation, and disclosure of financial instruments and apply to all entities that hold financial assets or owe financial liabilities. The amendments in this ASU also simplify the impairment assessment of equity investments without readily determinable fair values by requiring assessment for impairment qualitatively at each reporting period. That impairment assessment is similar to the qualitative assessment for long-lived assets, goodwill, and indefinite-lived intangible assets. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within those fiscal years, with earlier application permitted for financial statements that have not been issued. An entity should apply the amendments by means of a cumulative-effect adjustment to the balance sheet as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. We plan to adopt the provisions of this ASU for our fiscal year beginning January 1, 2018 and are currently evaluating the impact the adoption of this new accounting standard will have on our Consolidated Financial Statements. Classification of Deferred Taxes In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU, Income Taxes - Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes (Topic 740). This ASU requires that deferred tax liabilities and assets be classified as noncurrent in a classified statement of financial position. The amendments eliminate the guidance in Topic 740 that requires an entity to separate deferred tax liabilities and assets into a current amount and a noncurrent amount in a classified statement of financial position. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years, and may be applied either prospectively to all deferred tax liabilities and assets or retrospectively to all periods presented. We plan to adopt the provisions of this ASU for our fiscal year beginning January 1, 2017 and are currently evaluating the impact the adoption of this new accounting standard will have on our Consolidated Financial Statements. Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments for Business Combinations In September 2015, the FASB issued ASU, Business Combinations - Simplifying the Accounting for Measurement-Period Adjustments (Topic 805). This ASU applies to all entities that have reported provisional amounts for items in a business combination for which the accounting is incomplete by the end of the reporting period in which the combination occurs and during the measurement period that have an adjustment to provisional amounts recognized. This ASU requires that an acquirer recognize adjustments to provisional amounts that are identified during the measurement period in the reporting period in which the adjustment amounts are determined. These include the effect on earnings of changes in depreciation, amortization, or other income effects as if the accounting had been completed at the acquisition date. The entity is required to present separately on the face of the income statement or disclose in the notes the portion of the amount recorded in the current period earnings by line item that would have been recorded in previous reporting periods if the adjustment to the provisional amounts had been recognized as of the acquisition date. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, including interim periods within those fiscal years, and should be applied prospectively to adjustments to provisional amounts that occur after the effective date, with earlier application permitted for financial statements that have not been issued. Our adoption of this ASU for our fiscal year beginning January 1, 2016 is not expected to have a material effect on our financial statements. Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU, Inventory - Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory (Topic 330). This ASU applies to all inventory, including inventory that is measured using the first-in, first-out (FIFO) or average cost method. This ASU does not apply to the last-in, first-out (LIFO) or the retail inventory method. This ASU requires an entity to measure inventory at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Net realizable value is the estimated selling prices in the ordinary course of business, less reasonably predictable costs of completion, disposal and transportation. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within those fiscal years, and should be applied prospectively, with earlier application permitted as of the beginning of an interim or annual reporting period. Our adoption of this ASU for our fiscal year beginning January 1, 2017 is not expected to have a material effect on our financial statements. Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU, Interest - Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30): Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs . To simplify the presentation of debt issuance costs, this ASU requires that entities that have historically presented debt issuance costs as an asset, related to a recognized debt liability, will be required to present those costs as a direct deduction from the carrying value of the related debt liability. This presentation will result in debt issuance costs being presented in the same way debt discounts have historically been addressed. This ASU does not change the recognition, measurement or subsequent measurement guidance for debt issuance costs. This ASU is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption of this ASU is permitted for financial statements that have not been previously issued. The new guidance should be applied on a retrospective basis, wherein the balance sheet of each individual period presented should be adjusted to reflect the period-specific effects of applying the new guidance. Upon transition, an entity is required to comply with the applicable disclosures for a change in accounting principle. These disclosures include the nature and reason for the change in accounting principle, the transition method, a description of the prior-period information that has been retrospectively adjusted, and the effect of the change on debt issuance costs asset and the debt liability. We plan to adopt the provisions of this ASU for our fiscal year beginning January 1, 2016. Our adoption of this ASU is not expected to have a material effect on our financial statements. Cloud Computing Arrangement s In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU, Intangibles–Goodwill and Other–Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40), to provide guidance on whether a cloud computing arrangement contains a software license. If a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license, then an entity should account for the software license element of the arrangement consistent with the acquisition of other software licenses. If a cloud computing arrangement does not include a software license, an entity should account for the arrangement as a service contract. The new guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years. We plan to adopt these provisions for our fiscal year beginning January 1, 2016. Our adoption of this ASU is not expected to have a material effect on our financial statements. Extraordinary and Unusual Items In January 2015, the FASB issued ASU, Income Statement - Extraordinary and Unusual Items (Subtopic 225-20). This ASU eliminates the concept of reporting extraordinary items. Extraordinary items are events and transactions that are distinguished by their unusual nature and by the infrequency of their occurrence. Preparers will not have to assess whether a particular event or transaction is extraordinary and likewise, auditors and regulators no longer need to evaluate whether a preparer treated an unusual and/or infrequent item appropriately. The presentation and disclosure guidance for items that are unusual in nature or occur infrequently will be retained and will be expanded to include such items. This ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2015. A reporting entity may apply this ASU prospectively. A reporting entity may also apply this ASU retrospectively to all prior periods presented in the financial statements. Early adoption is permitted provided that the guidance is applied from the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. We plan to adopt these provisions for our fiscal year beginning January 1, 2016. Our adoption of this ASU is not expected to have a material effect on our financial statements. Going Concern In August 2014, the FASB issued ASU, Presentation of Financial Statements - Going Concern (Subtopic 205-40) . This ASU provides guidance about management's responsibility to evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about an entity's ability to continue as a going concern or to provide related footnote disclosures. This ASU requires management to assess an entity's ability to continue as a going concern by incorporating and expanding upon certain principles that are currently U.S. auditing standards. Specifically, this ASU provides a definition of the term substantial doubt, requires evaluation of every reporting period including interim periods, provides principles for considering the mitigating effect of management's plans, requires certain disclosures when substantial doubt is alleviated as a result of consideration of management's plans, requires an express statement and other disclosures when substantial doubt is not alleviated and requires an assessment for a period of one year after the date that the financial statements are issued or available to be issued. This ASU is effective for the annual period ending after December 15, 2016, and for annual and interim periods thereafter. Early application is permitted. We plan to adopt these provisions for our fiscal year beginning January 1, 2017. Revenue from Contracts with Customers In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU, Revenue from Contracts with Customers. (Topic 606). ASC Topic 606 supersedes the revenue recognition requirements under ASC Topic 605, Revenue Recognition , and most industry-specific guidance throughout the Industry Topics of the ASC. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which an entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. Under the new guidance, an entity is required to perform the following five steps: (1) identify the contract(s) with a customer; (2) identify the performance obligations in the contract; (3) determine the transaction price; (4) allocate the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and (5) recognize revenue when (or as) the entity satisfies a performance obligation. The new guidance will significantly enhance comparability of revenue recognition practices across entities, industries, jurisdictions and capital markets. Additionally, the guidance requires improved disclosures as to the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue that is recognized. The guidance was effective for the annual reporting period beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period. Early adoption is not permitted. On July 9, 2015, the FASB deferred the effective date by one year to annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, including interim periods within that reporting period. We plan to adopt the provisions of this ASU for our fiscal year beginning January 1, 2018 and are currently evaluating the impact the adoption of this new accounting standard will have on our Consolidated Financial Statements.

Basis of Presentation and Sum34

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Property, Plant and Equipment	Depreciation of property, plant and equipment (including equipment under capital leases) is computed based on the straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives of the assets: Years Buildings and improvements 15 to 40 Furniture and fixtures 5 to 10 Machinery and equipment 3 to 15 Automobiles 5 to 7 Property, plant and equipment was comprised of the following at December 31, 2014 and 2015 : December 31, 2014 December 31, 2015 (in thousands) Land $ 66,957 $ 72,697 Buildings and improvements 148,483 173,540 Furniture, equipment and automobiles 66,020 71,943 Property, plant and equipment, at cost 281,460 318,180 Less: accumulated depreciation (95,249 ) (103,306 ) Property, plant and equipment, net $ 186,211 $ 214,874

Acquisitions (Tables)

Acquisitions (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Summary of purchase price	The following table summarizes the breakdown of the purchase price for the two businesses described above (in thousands): Purchase Price Cash paid $ 9,725 Deferred payments 4,531 Contingent consideration 762 Purchase Price $ 15,018
Effect of acquisitions on Consolidated Balance Sheets	The following table summarizes the fair value of the assets acquired for these businesses (in thousands): Acquisition Date Type of Business Market Assets Acquired (Excluding Goodwill) Goodwill Recorded Liabilities and Debt Assumed February 25, 2015 Funeral home Clarksville, TN $ 4.9 $ 3.9 $ — November 17, 2015 Funeral home Wakeforest, NC $ 3.1 $ 3.1 $ — Purchase Price Allocation Current assets $ 92 Property, plant & equipment 5,966 Goodwill 6,974 Deferred charges and other non-current assets 1,986 Purchase Price $ 15,018
Schedule of final valuations of acquisition	The following table summarizes the fair value of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed in our SCI Acquisition and the subsequent adjustments made based on the final valuations and additional information which became available prior to December 31, 2014 (in thousands): Initial Purchase Price Allocation Adjustments Final Purchase Price Allocation Current assets $ 1,998 128 2,126 Property, plant & equipment 16,457 2 16,459 Preneed cemetery trust investments 3,632 — 3,632 Preneed funeral trust investments 45 — 45 Goodwill 33,826 3,827 37,653 Deferred charges and other non-current assets 6,208 (3,918 ) 2,290 Cemetery perpetual care investments 7,491 — 7,491 Obligations under capital leases (1,960 ) — (1,960 ) Deferred preneed cemetery revenue (1,679 ) (39 ) (1,718 ) Deferred preneed cemetery receipts held in trust (3,632 ) — (3,632 ) Deferred preneed funeral receipts held in trust (45 ) — (45 ) Care trusts' corpus (7,491 ) — (7,491 ) Cash paid $ 54,850 $ — $ 54,850

Goodwill (Tables)

Goodwill (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Changes in Goodwill	The following table presents changes in goodwill in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2015 (in thousands): December 31, 2014 December 31, 2015 Goodwill at the beginning of year $ 221,087 $ 257,442 Increase in goodwill related to acquisitions 37,653 6,974 Changes in previous estimates (101 ) — Net impairment and write-off related to divestitures (1,197 ) — Goodwill at the end of the year $ 257,442 $ 264,416

Discontinued Operations Assets

Discontinued Operations Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]
Operating Results and Gain on Discontinued Operations	The operating results of discontinued businesses, as well as any impairments and net gains on the disposals, which is presented within discontinued operations on our Consolidated Statements of Operations, along with the income tax effect, were as follows (in thousands): Year Ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 Revenues $ 4,164 $ 817 $ — Operating income 729 235 — Impairment (100 ) (1,180 ) — Net gain on disposal 6,091 1,594 — Income tax provision (2,544 ) (257 ) — Income from discontinued operations, net of tax $ 4,176 $ 392 $ —

Preneed Trust Investments (Tabl

Preneed Trust Investments (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Components of Preneed Cemetery Trust Investments	The components of Preneed cemetery trust investments on our Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2014 and 2015 were as follows (in thousands): December 31, 2014 December 31, 2015 Preneed cemetery trust investments, at market value $ 74,198 $ 65,486 Less: allowance for contract cancellation (2,226 ) (2,195 ) Preneed cemetery trust investments, net $ 71,972 $ 63,291
Cost and fair market values associated with preneed cemetery trust investments	The cost and market values associated with preneed cemetery trust investments at December 31, 2014 are detailed below (in thousands): Fair Value Hierarchy Level Cost Unrealized Gains Unrealized Losses Fair Market Value Cash and money market accounts 1 $ 5,591 $ — $ — $ 5,591 Fixed income securities: Municipal bonds 2 347 9 — $ 356 Foreign debt 2 5,874 — (237 ) 5,637 Corporate debt 2 30,108 362 (2,167 ) 28,303 Preferred stock 2 19,154 199 (325 ) 19,028 Mortgage backed securities 2 1 — — 1 Common stock 1 13,128 2,357 (966 ) 14,519 Trust securities $ 74,203 $ 2,927 $ (3,695 ) $ 73,435 Accrued investment income $ 763 $ 763 Preneed cemetery trust investments $ 74,198 Market value as a percentage of cost 99.0 % The cost and fair market values associated with preneed cemetery trust investments at December 31, 2015 are detailed below (in thousands): Fair Value Hierarchy Level Cost Unrealized Gains Unrealized Losses Fair Market Value Cash and money market accounts 1 $ 8,296 $ — $ — $ 8,296 Fixed income securities: Municipal bonds 2 458 — (63 ) 395 Foreign debt 2 4,803 — (695 ) 4,108 Corporate debt 2 22,968 85 (4,279 ) 18,774 Preferred stock 2 16,236 29 (885 ) 15,380 Mortgage backed securities 2 — — — — Common stock 1 20,387 682 (3,161 ) 17,908 Trust securities $ 73,148 $ 796 $ (9,083 ) $ 64,861 Accrued investment income $ 625 $ 625 Preneed cemetery trust investments $ 65,486 Market value as a percentage of cost 88.7 %
Estimated maturities of fixed preneed cemetery trust income securities	The estimated maturities of the fixed income securities included above are as follows (in thousands): Due in one year or less $ 133 Due in one to five years 4,858 Due in five to ten years 2,324 Thereafter 31,342 Total fixed income securities $ 38,657
Preneed cemetery trust investment security transactions	Preneed cemetery trust investment security transactions recorded in Interest expense on our Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2013 , 2014 and 2015 were as follows (in thousands): Year ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 Investment income $ 3,349 $ 2,840 $ 2,562 Realized gains 3,018 5,712 2,952 Realized losses (763 ) (2,789 ) (3,671 ) Expenses and taxes (2,934 ) (1,716 ) (1,790 ) Increase in deferred preneed cemetery receipts held in trust (2,670 ) (4,047 ) (53 ) $ — $ — $ —
Purchases and sales of investments in preneed cemetary trusts	Purchases and sales of investments in the preneed cemetery trusts were as follows (in thousands): Year ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 Purchases $ (46,558 ) $ (53,443 ) $ (26,757 ) Sales 47,318 58,022 23,141
Components of preneed funeral trust investments	The components of Preneed funeral trust investments on our Consolidated Balance Sheets at December 31, 2014 and 2015 were as follows (in thousands): December 31, 2014 December 31, 2015 Preneed funeral trust investments, at market value $ 100,579 $ 88,444 Less: allowance for contract cancellation (2,972 ) (2,891 ) Preneed funeral trust investments, net $ 97,607 $ 85,553
Cost and fair market values associated with preneed funeral trust investments	The cost and market values associated with preneed funeral trust investments at December 31, 2014 are detailed below (in thousands): Fair Value Hierarchy Level Cost Unrealized Gains Unrealized Losses Fair Market Value Cash and money market accounts 1 $ 17,501 $ — $ — $ 17,501 Fixed income securities: U.S. treasury debt 1 2,037 32 (15 ) 2,054 U.S. agency obligations 2 30 — — 30 Foreign debt 2 4,653 — (188 ) 4,465 Corporate debt 2 24,761 469 (1,718 ) 23,512 Preferred stock 2 16,166 256 (261 ) 16,161 Mortgage backed securities 2 309 8 (3 ) 314 Common stock 1 10,544 1,926 (783 ) 11,687 Mutual funds: Equity 1 14,126 1,370 (181 ) 15,315 Fixed income 2 5,351 115 (72 ) 5,394 Other investments 2 3,560 — (29 ) 3,531 Trust securities $ 99,038 $ 4,176 $ (3,250 ) $ 99,964 Accrued investment income $ 615 $ 615 Preneed funeral trust investments $ 100,579 Market value as a percentage of cost 100.9 % The cost and fair market values associated with preneed funeral trust investments at December 31, 2015 are detailed below (in thousands): Fair Value Hierarchy Level Cost Unrealized Gains Unrealized Losses Fair Market Value Cash and money market accounts 1 $ 21,458 $ — $ — $ 21,458 Fixed income securities: U.S. treasury debt 1 1,492 24 (12 ) 1,504 Municipal Bonds 2 478 — (66 ) 412 Foreign debt 2 4,938 — (711 ) 4,227 Corporate debt 2 24,787 133 (4,711 ) 20,209 Preferred stock 2 17,496 158 (914 ) 16,740 Mortgage backed securities 2 273 4 (4 ) 273 Common stock 1 20,864 738 (3,114 ) 18,488 Mutual funds: Equity 1 — — — — Fixed income 2 959 — (82 ) 877 Other investments 2 3,598 — (30 ) 3,568 Trust securities $ 96,343 $ 1,057 $ (9,644 ) $ 87,756 Accrued investment income $ 688 $ 688 Preneed funeral trust investments $ 88,444 Market value as a percentage of cost 91.1 %
Estimated maturities of fixed preneed funeral trust income securities	The estimated maturities of the fixed income securities included above are as follows (in thousands): Due in one year or less $ 144 Due in one to five years 5,794 Due in five to ten years 3,272 Thereafter 34,155 Total fixed income securities $ 43,365
Preneed funereal trust investment security transactions	Preneed funeral trust investment security transactions recorded in Interest expense on our Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2013 , 2014 and 2015 were as follows (in thousands): Year ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 Investment income $ 3,190 $ 3,065 $ 2,819 Realized gains 7,957 7,184 3,931 Realized losses (5,743 ) (2,313 ) (3,979 ) Expenses and taxes (1,669 ) (1,470 ) (988 ) Increase in deferred preneed funeral receipts held in trust (3,735 ) (6,466 ) (1,783 ) $ — $ — $ —
Purchases and sales of investments in preneed funeral trusts	Purchases and sales of investments in the preneed funeral trusts were as follows (in thousands): Year ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 Purchases $ (38,592 ) $ (57,297 ) $ (26,021 ) Sales 39,853 60,352 42,582
Preneed Cemetery Trust Investments
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Schedule of unrealized loss position, fair value	Our cemetery merchandise and service trust investment unrealized losses, their associated fair market values, and the duration of unrealized losses for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 , are shown in the following tables (in thousands): December 31, 2015 In Loss Position Less than 12 months In Loss Position Greater than 12 months Total Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fixed income securities: Municipal bonds $ 395 $ (63 ) $ — $ — $ 395 $ (63 ) Foreign debt 3,680 (384 ) 406 (312 ) 4,086 (696 ) Corporate debt 14,468 (2,992 ) 3,056 (1,287 ) 17,524 (4,279 ) Preferred stock 10,285 (436 ) 5,168 (448 ) 15,453 (884 ) Common stock 12,029 (1,989 ) 3,564 (1,172 ) 15,593 (3,161 ) Total temporary impaired securities $ 40,857 $ (5,864 ) $ 12,194 $ (3,219 ) $ 53,051 $ (9,083 ) December 31, 2014 In Loss Position Less than 12 months In Loss Position Greater than 12 months Total Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fixed income securities: Foreign debt $ 5,629 $ (237 ) $ — $ — $ 5,629 $ (237 ) Corporate debt 18,051 (778 ) 2,016 (1,389 ) 20,067 (2,167 ) Preferred stock 10,342 (289 ) 3,236 (36 ) 13,578 (325 ) Common stock 6,904 (911 ) 65 (55 ) 6,969 (966 ) Total temporary impaired securities $ 40,926 $ (2,215 ) $ 5,317 $ (1,480 ) $ 46,243 $ (3,695 )
Preneed Funeral Trust Investments
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Schedule of unrealized loss position, fair value	December 31, 2015 In Loss Position Less than 12 months In Loss Position Greater than 12 months Total Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fixed income securities: U.S. debt $ — $ — $ 1,504 $ (12 ) $ 1,504 $ (12 ) Municipal Bonds 413 (66 ) — — 413 (66 ) Foreign debt 3,763 (392 ) 416 (319 ) 4,179 (711 ) Corporate debt 15,929 (3,294 ) 3,364 (1,417 ) 19,293 (4,711 ) Preferred stock 10,623 (451 ) 5,338 (463 ) 15,961 (914 ) Mortgage backed securities — — 272 (4 ) 272 (4 ) Mutual funds: Equity 11,848 (1,959 ) 3,510 (1,154 ) 15,358 (3,113 ) Equity and other — — — — — — Fixed income 1 — 876 (82 ) 877 (82 ) Other investments — — 42 (31 ) 42 (31 ) Total temporary impaired securities $ 42,577 $ (6,162 ) $ 15,322 $ (3,482 ) $ 57,899 $ (9,644 ) December 31, 2014 In Loss Position Less than 12 months In Loss Position Greater than 12 months Total Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fixed income securities: U.S. debt $ 500 $ — $ 836 $ (15 ) $ 1,336 $ (15 ) Foreign debt 4,471 (188 ) — — 4,471 (188 ) Corporate debt 14,310 (617 ) 1,598 (1,101 ) 15,908 (1,718 ) Preferred stock 8,300 (232 ) 2,597 (29 ) 10,897 (261 ) Mortgage backed securities — — 51 (3 ) 51 (3 ) Mutual funds: Equity 5,594 (739 ) 53 (44 ) 5,647 (783 ) Equity and other 4,204 (180 ) 6 (1 ) 4,210 (181 ) Fixed income 888 (19 ) 1,026 (53 ) 1,914 (72 ) Other investments — — 42 (29 ) 42 (29 ) Total temporary impaired securities $ 38,267 $ (1,975 ) $ 6,209 $ (1,275 ) $ 44,476 $ (3,250 )

Preneed Cemetery Receivables (T

Preneed Cemetery Receivables (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Preneed Cemetery Receivables [Abstract]
Preneed Cemetery Receivables	For the years ending December 31, 2014 and 2015 , the changes to the allowance for contract cancellations were as follows (in thousands): As of December 31, 2014 2015 Beginning balance $ 1,347 $ 2,140 Write-offs and cancellations (1,172 ) (1,462 ) Provision 1,965 1,087 Ending balance $ 2,140 $ 1,765
Aging of Past Due Financing Receivables	The aging of past due financing receivables as of December 31, 2015 was as follows (in thousands): 31-60 Past Due 61-90 Past Due 91-120 Past Due >120 Past Due Total Past Due Current Total Financing Receivables Recognized revenue $ 758 $ 446 $ 225 $ 1,061 $ 2,490 $ 22,742 $ 25,232 Deferred revenue 273 207 103 335 918 10,380 11,298 Total contracts $ 1,031 $ 653 $ 328 $ 1,396 $ 3,408 $ 33,122 $ 36,530 The aging of past due financing receivables as of December 31, 2014 was as follows (in thousands): 31-60 Past Due 61-90 Past Due 91-120 Past Due >120 Past Due Total Past Due Current Total Financing Receivables Recognized revenue $ 756 $ 407 $ 250 $ 1,439 $ 2,852 $ 21,394 $ 24,246 Deferred revenue 296 204 116 720 1,336 8,333 9,669 Total contracts $ 1,052 $ 611 $ 366 $ 2,159 $ 4,188 $ 29,727 $ 33,915

Receivables from Preneed Trus40

Receivables from Preneed Trusts (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Receivables From Preneed Trusts [Abstract]
Receivables from Preneed Funeral Trust Funds	As of December 31, 2014 and 2015 , receivables from preneed trusts were as follows (in thousands): December 31, 2014 December 31, 2015 (in thousands) Preneed trust funds, at cost $ 13,205 $ 13,963 Less: allowance for contract cancellation (396 ) (419 ) Receivables from preneed trusts, net $ 12,809 $ 13,544
Composition of Assets Held in Trust	Fair value includes unrealized gains and losses on trust assets. Historical Cost Basis Fair Value (in thousands) As of December 31, 2015 Cash and cash equivalents $ 2,898 $ 2,898 Fixed income investments 8,423 8,426 Mutual funds and common stocks 2,626 2,625 Annuities 16 16 Total $ 13,963 $ 13,965 Historical Cost Basis Fair Value (in thousands) As of December 31, 2014 Cash and cash equivalents $ 2,834 $ 2,834 Fixed income investments 7,880 7,893 Mutual funds and common stocks 2,467 2,586 Annuities 24 24 Total $ 13,205 $ 13,337

Cemetery Perpetual Care Trust41

Cemetery Perpetual Care Trust Investments (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Components of Care Trusts' Corpus	The components of Care trusts’ corpus as of December 31, 2014 and 2015 were as follows (in thousands): December 31, 2014 December 31, 2015 Trust assets, at market value $ 48,670 $ 43,127 Obligations due from trust (528 ) (711 ) Care trusts’ corpus $ 48,142 $ 42,416
Cost and fair market values associated with the trust investments held in perpetual care trust funds	The following table reflects the cost and fair market values associated with the trust investments held in perpetual care trust funds at December 31, 2015 (in thousands): Fair Value Hierarchy Level Cost Unrealized Gains Unrealized Losses Fair Market Value Cash and money market accounts 1 $ 5,472 $ — $ — $ 5,472 Fixed income securities: Municipal bonds 2 325 — (45 ) 280 Foreign debt 2 3,232 — (480 ) 2,752 Corporate debt 2 16,216 57 (3,094 ) 13,179 Preferred stock 2 11,263 20 (611 ) 10,672 Common stock 1 11,945 393 (1,939 ) 10,399 Trust securities $ 48,453 $ 470 $ (6,169 ) $ 42,754 Accrued investment income $ 373 $ 373 Cemetery perpetual care investments $ 43,127 Market value as a percentage of cost 88.2 % The following table reflects the cost and market values associated with the trust investments held in perpetual care trust funds at December 31, 2014 (in thousands): Fair Value Hierarchy Level Cost Unrealized Gains Unrealized Losses Fair Market Value Cash and money market accounts 1 $ 3,206 $ — $ — $ 3,206 Fixed income securities: Municipal bonds 2 229 5 — 234 Foreign debt 2 3,871 — (156 ) 3,715 Corporate debt 2 19,911 248 (1,428 ) 18,731 Preferred stock 2 12,694 137 (214 ) 12,617 Common stock 1 8,747 1,568 (653 ) 9,662 Trust securities $ 48,658 $ 1,958 $ (2,451 ) $ 48,165 Accrued investment income $ 505 $ 505 Cemetery perpetual care investments $ 48,670 Market value as a percentage of cost 99.0 %
Estimated maturities of fixed perpetual care trust income securities	The estimated maturities of the fixed income securities included above are as follows (in thousands): Due in one year or less $ 79 Due in one to five years 3,391 Due in five to ten years 1,690 Thereafter 21,723 Total fixed income securities $ 26,883
Perpetual care trust investment security transactions recorded in interest income and other, net	Perpetual care trust investment security transactions recorded in Interest expense on our Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2013 , 2014 and 2015 were as follows (in thousands): Year ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 Realized gains $ 2,172 $ 3,468 $ 1,773 Realized losses (542 ) (1,748 ) (2,431 ) Decrease (increase) in Care trusts’ corpus (1,630 ) (1,720 ) 658 Total $ — $ — $ —
Perpetual care trust investment security transactions recorded in cemetery revenue	Perpetual care trust investment security transactions recorded in Cemetery revenue for the years ended December 31, 2013 , 2014 and 2015 were as follows (in thousands): Year ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 Investment income $ 4,063 $ 4,713 $ 5,315 Realized gains, net 1,511 1,112 436 Total $ 5,574 $ 5,825 $ 5,751
Purchases and sales of investments in perpetual care trusts	Purchases and sales of investments in the perpetual care trusts were as follows (in thousands): Year ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 Purchases $ (27,719 ) $ (38,413 ) $ (16,694 ) Sales 28,261 35,402 14,710
Perpetual Care Trust Invesments
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Schedule of unrealized loss position, fair value	Our perpetual care trust investment unrealized losses, their associated fair market values, and the duration of unrealized losses for the years ended December 31, 2015 and 2014 , are shown in the following tables (in thousands): December 31, 2015 In Loss Position Less than 12 months In Loss Position Greater than 12 months Total Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fixed income securities: Municipal bonds $ 280 $ (45 ) $ — $ — $ 280 $ (45 ) Foreign debt 2,541 (265 ) 281 (215 ) 2,822 (480 ) Corporate debt 10,463 (2,164 ) 2,210 (931 ) 12,673 (3,095 ) Preferred stock 7,100 (301 ) 3,568 (309 ) 10,668 (610 ) Common stock 7,379 (1,220 ) 2,186 (719 ) 9,565 (1,939 ) Total temporary impaired securities $ 27,763 $ (3,995 ) $ 8,245 $ (2,174 ) $ 36,008 $ (6,169 ) December 31, 2014 In Loss Position Less than 12 months In Loss Position Greater than 12 months Total Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fair market value Unrealized Losses Fixed income securities: Foreign debt $ 3,716 $ (156 ) $ — $ — $ 3,716 $ (156 ) Corporate debt 11,893 (513 ) 1,328 (915 ) 13,221 (1,428 ) Preferred stock 6,821 (191 ) 2,133 (23 ) 8,954 (214 ) Common stock 4,663 (616 ) 44 (37 ) 4,707 (653 ) Total temporary impaired securities $ 27,093 $ (1,476 ) $ 3,505 $ (975 ) $ 30,598 $ (2,451 )

Deferred Charges and Other No42

Deferred Charges and Other Non-Current Assets Deferred Charges and Other Non-Current Assets (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Deferred Costs, Capitalized, Prepaid, and Other Assets Disclosure	Deferred charges and other non-current assets at December 31, 2014 and 2015 were as follows (in thousands): December 31, 2014 December 31, 2015 Prepaid agreements not to compete, net of accumulated amortization of $5,105 and $5,404, respectively $ 1,159 $ 1,912 Deferred loan costs, net of accumulated amortization of $2,809 and $3,246, respectively 1,870 1,445 Convertible subordinated notes issuance costs, net of accumulated amortization of $375 and $858, respectively 3,252 2,769 Tradenames 7,660 8,856 Other 323 210 Deferred charges and other non-current assets $ 14,264 $ 15,192

Long-Term Debt Long-Term Debt (

Long-Term Debt Long-Term Debt (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Long-term Debt Instruments	Our senior long-term debt consisted of the following at December 31, 2014 and 2015 (in thousands): December 31, 2014 December 31, 2015 Revolving credit facility, secured, floating rate $ 40,500 $ 92,600 Term loan, secured, floating rate 120,312 110,937 Acquisition debt 1,205 4,929 Less: current portion (9,630 ) (12,012 ) Total long-term debt $ 152,387 $ 196,454
Schedule of Maturities of Long-term Debt	The aggregate maturities of our long-term debt for the next five years subsequent to December 31, 2015 and thereafter are as follows (in thousands): Years ending December 31, 2016 $ 12,012 2017 13,499 2018 15,184 2019 167,168 2020 383 2021 and thereafter 220 $ 208,466 The aggregate maturities of our Convertible Notes for the five years subsequent to December 31, 2015 and thereafter are as follows (in thousands): Principal Maturity Discount Amortization Present Value Years ending December 31, 2016 $ — $ (3,867 ) $ (3,867 ) 2017 — (4,328 ) (4,328 ) 2018 — (4,844 ) (4,844 ) 2019 — (5,422 ) (5,422 ) 2020 — (6,068 ) (6,068 ) 2021 and thereafter 143,750 (1,225 ) 142,525 $ 143,750 $ (25,754 ) $ 117,996

Convertible Subordinated Notes

Convertible Subordinated Notes (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Convertible Subordinated Notes, Carrying Values of Liability and Equity Components	The carrying values of the liability and equity components of the Convertible Notes at December 31, 2015 are reflected on our Consolidated Balance Sheets as follows (in thousands): December 31, 2014 December 31, 2015 Long-term liabilities: Principal amount $ 143,750 $ 143,750 Unamortized discount of liability component (29,208 ) (25,754 ) Carrying value of the liability component $ 114,542 $ 117,996 Equity component carrying value $ 17,973 $ 17,973
Schedule of Maturities of Long-term Debt	The aggregate maturities of our long-term debt for the next five years subsequent to December 31, 2015 and thereafter are as follows (in thousands): Years ending December 31, 2016 $ 12,012 2017 13,499 2018 15,184 2019 167,168 2020 383 2021 and thereafter 220 $ 208,466 The aggregate maturities of our Convertible Notes for the five years subsequent to December 31, 2015 and thereafter are as follows (in thousands): Principal Maturity Discount Amortization Present Value Years ending December 31, 2016 $ — $ (3,867 ) $ (3,867 ) 2017 — (4,328 ) (4,328 ) 2018 — (4,844 ) (4,844 ) 2019 — (5,422 ) (5,422 ) 2020 — (6,068 ) (6,068 ) 2021 and thereafter 143,750 (1,225 ) 142,525 $ 143,750 $ (25,754 ) $ 117,996

Commitments and Contingencies C

Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Future Minimum Rental Payments For Operating and Capital Leases	At December 31, 2015 , future minimum lease payments under non-cancelable lease agreements were as follows: Future Minimum Lease Payments Operating Leases Capital Leases (in thousands) Years ending December 31, 2016 $ 4,790 $ 477 2017 4,111 483 2018 3,174 421 2019 2,900 388 2020 2,041 334 Thereafter 1,718 3,329 Total future minimum lease payments $ 18,734 $ 5,432 Less: amount representing interest (rates ranging from 7% to 11.5%) (2,334 ) Less: current portion of obligations under capital leases (223 ) Long-term obligations under capital leases $ 2,875
Other Commitments [Table Text Block]	At December 31, 2015 , the maximum estimated future cash commitments under these agreements with remaining commitment terms, and with original terms of more than one year, are as follows: Non-Compete Consulting Employment Total (in thousands) Years ending December 31, 2016 $ 1,612 $ 1,366 $ 2,135 $ 5,113 2017 1,296 1,281 1,205 3,782 2018 986 673 205 1,864 2019 776 440 — 1,216 2020 500 307 — 807 Thereafter 458 235 — 693 $ 5,628 $ 4,302 $ 3,545 $ 13,475

Income Taxes Income Taxes (Tabl

Income Taxes Income Taxes (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	The provision (benefit) for income taxes from continuing operations for the years ended December 31, 2013 , 2014 and 2015 consisted of (in thousands): Year Ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 Current: U. S. federal provision (benefit) $ (672 ) $ 1,188 $ 9,840 State provision (benefit) (522 ) 772 862 Total current provision (benefit) $ (1,194 ) $ 1,960 $ 10,702 Deferred: U. S. federal provision $ 8,708 $ 5,117 $ 1,928 State provision (benefit) 1,731 178 1,107 Total deferred provision $ 10,439 $ 5,295 $ 3,035 Total income tax provision $ 9,245 $ 7,255 $ 13,737
Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation	A reconciliation of taxes from continuing operations calculated at the U.S. federal statutory rate to those reflected in the Consolidated Statements of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2013 , 2014 and 2015 is as follows (in thousands): Year Ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 Amount Percent Amount Percent Amount Percent Federal statutory rate $ 8,284 34.0 % $ 7,719 34.0 % $ 12,105 35.0 % Effect of state income taxes, net of federal benefit 1,462 6.0 831 3.7 1,618 4.7 Effect of non-deductible expenses and other, net (633 ) (2.6 ) 583 2.6 155 0.4 Change in valuation allowance 132 0.5 (138 ) (0.6 ) (141 ) (0.4 ) Reduction for tax year 2011 federal audit — — (1,740 ) (7.7 ) — — Total $ 9,245 37.9 % $ 7,255 32.0 % $ 13,737 39.7 %
Unrecognized Tax Benefits	The following table summarizes our unrecognized tax benefit as of December 31, 2014 and 2015 (in thousands): December 31, 2014 December 31, 2015 Unrecognized tax benefit $ 515 $ 814 Interest accrued on unrecognized tax benefits $ — $ 44
Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities	The tax effects of temporary differences from total operations that give rise to significant deferred tax assets and liabilities at December 31, 2014 and 2015 were as follows (in thousands): Year Ended December 31, 2014 2015 Deferred income tax assets: Net operating loss carryforwards $ 2,735 $ 2,132 Tax credit carryforwards 127 133 State bonus depreciation 1,513 993 Accrued liabilities and other 9,115 9,949 Amortization of non-compete agreements 815 897 Preneed liabilities, net 9,935 10,324 Total deferred income tax assets 24,240 24,428 Less valuation allowance (330 ) (189 ) Total deferred income tax assets $ 23,910 $ 24,239 Deferred income tax liabilities: Amortization and depreciation $ (43,441 ) $ (48,318 ) Convertible subordinated notes due 2021 (11,685 ) (10,184 ) Prepaids and other (1,448 ) (1,436 ) Total deferred income tax liabilities (56,574 ) (59,938 ) Total net deferred tax liabilities $ (32,664 ) $ (35,699 ) Current deferred tax asset $ 3,750 $ 4,257 Non-current deferred tax liabilities (36,414 ) (39,956 ) Total net deferred tax liabilities $ (32,664 ) $ (35,699 )
Schedule of Unrecognized Tax Benefits Roll Forward	A reconciliation of the beginning and ending amount of unrecognized tax benefits is as follows (in thousands): Year Ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 Unrecognized tax benefit at beginning of year $ 7,747 $ 7,832 $ 515 Reductions based on tax positions related to the prior year (93 ) — — Reductions for tax year 2011 federal audit — (7,310 ) — Additions based on tax positions related to the current year 209 — 299 Reductions as a result of a lapse of the applicable statute of limitations (31 ) (7 ) — Unrecognized tax benefit at end of year $ 7,832 $ 515 $ 814

Stockholders' Equity Stockholde

Stockholders' Equity Stockholders' Equity (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Status of Stock Based Compensation Plans	The status of the Amended and Restated 2006 Plan at December 31, 2015 is as follows (shares in thousands): Shares Reserved Shares Available to Issue Options Outstanding Amended and Restated 2006 Plan 5,000 1,157 1,695
Schedule of Share-based Compensation, Stock Options, Activity	A summary of the stock options at December 31, 2013 , 2014 and 2015 and changes during the three years ended December 31, 2015 is presented in the table and narrative below (shares in thousands): Year Ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 Shares Wtd. Avg. Ex. Price Shares Wtd. Avg. Ex. Price Shares Wtd. Avg. Ex. Price Outstanding at beginning of period 312 $ 5.41 766 $ 13.03 1,381 $ 17.07 Granted 563 $ 16.73 804 $ 20.20 653 $ 22.66 Exercised (45 ) $ 5.33 (68 ) $ 5.47 (110 ) $ 14.36 Canceled or expired (64 ) $ 13.82 (121 ) $ 18.80 (229 ) $ 20.39 Outstanding at end of year 766 $ 13.03 1,381 $ 17.07 1,695 $ 18.95 Exercisable at end of year 192 $ 5.36 329 $ 10.97 583 $ 15.00
Schedule of Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, by Exercise Price Range	The following table further describes our outstanding stock options at December 31, 2015 : Options Outstanding Options Exercisable Actual Ranges of Exercise Prices Number Outstanding at 12/31/15 Weighted-Average Remaining Contractual Life Weighted-Average Exercise Price Number Exercisable at 12/31/15 Weighted-Average Exercise Price $4.78 - $5.94 149,021 5.31 $ 5.55 149,021 $ 5.55 $16.73 - $17.00 396,500 7.16 $ 16.73 254,498 $ 16.73 $20.26 - $22.58 1,149,868 4.62 $ 21.45 179,400 $ 20.39 $4.78 - $22.58 1,695,389 5.27 $ 18.95 582,919 $ 15.00
Schedule of Share-based Compensation, Restricted Stock and Restricted Stock Units Activity	A summary of the status of unvested restricted stock awards as of December 31, 2015 , and changes during 2015 , is presented below (shares in thousands): Unvested stock awards Shares Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value Unvested at January 1, 2015 330 $ 16.20 Awards 43 22.40 Vestings (159 ) 10.64 Cancellations (11 ) 18.36 Unvested at December 31, 2015 202 $ 20.64
Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)	Our components of Accumulated other comprehensive income are as follows: Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income Balance at December 31, 2014 $ — Increase in net unrealized gains associated with available-for-sale securities of the trusts (22,573 ) Reclassification of net unrealized gain activity attributable to the Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust and Care trusts’ corpus’ 22,573 Balance at December 31, 2015 $ —
Employee Stock Option
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Schedule of Share-based Payment Award, Stock Options, Valuation Assumptions	The fair values of our stock options were calculated using the following weighted average of assumptions, based on the methods described above for the years ended December 31, 2013, 2014 and 2015: 2013 2014 2015 Dividend yield 0.59 % 0.50 % 0.44 % Expected volatility 33.63 % 33.34 % 32.62 % Risk-free interest rate 0.41 % 0.99 % 1.13 % Expected holding period (years) 3.6 3.7 3.6
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Schedule of Share-based Payment Award, Stock Options, Valuation Assumptions	The fair values of the right (option) to purchase shares under the ESPP are estimated at the date of purchase with the four quarterly purchase dates using the following assumptions: 2013 2014 2015 Dividend yield 0.6 % 0.6 % 0.4 % Expected volatility 41 % 33 % 24 % Risk-free interest rate 0.08%, 0.12%,0.135%, 0.15% 0.07%, 0.09%,0.11%, 0.13% 0.02%, 0.11%,0.18%, 0.25% Expected life (years) .25, .50, .75, 1.00 .25, .50, .75, 1.00 .25, .50, .75, 1.00

Earnings Per Share Earnings Per

Earnings Per Share Earnings Per Share (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted	The following table sets forth the computation of the basic and diluted earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 2013 , 2014 and 2015 : Year Ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 (in thousands, except per share data) Numerator for basic earnings per share: Numerator from continuing operations Income from continuing operations $ 15,120 $ 15,446 $ 20,853 Less: Earnings allocated to unvested restricted stock (314 ) (295 ) (257 ) Income attributable to continuing operations $ 14,806 $ 15,151 $ 20,596 Numerator from discontinued operations Income from discontinued operations $ 4,176 $ 392 $ — Less: Earnings allocated to unvested restricted stock (85 ) (8 ) — Income attributable to discontinued operations $ 4,091 $ 384 $ — Numerator for diluted earnings per share: Adjustment for diluted earnings per share: Interest on convertible junior subordinated debentures, net of tax $ 3,454 $ — $ — $ 3,454 $ — $ — Income attributable to continuing operations $ 18,260 $ 15,151 $ 20,596 Income attributable to discontinuing operations $ 4,091 $ 384 $ — Denominator Denominator for basic earnings per common share - weighted average shares outstanding 17,826 18,108 17,791 Effect of dilutive securities: Stock options 175 149 246 Convertible junior subordinated debentures 4,392 — — Convertible subordinated notes — — 276 Denominator for diluted earnings per common share - weighted average shares outstanding 22,393 18,257 18,313 Basic earnings per common share: Continuing operations $ 0.83 $ 0.84 $ 1.16 Discontinued operations 0.23 0.02 — Basic earnings per common share $ 1.06 $ 0.86 $ 1.16 Diluted earnings per common share: Continuing operations $ 0.82 $ 0.83 $ 1.12 Discontinued operations 0.18 0.02 — Diluted earnings per common share $ 1.00 $ 0.85 $ 1.12

Major Segments of Business (Tab

Major Segments of Business (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Revenue, pre-tax income and total assets by segments	The following table presents external revenues from continuing operations, net income (loss) from continuing operations, total assets, long-lived assets, depreciation and amortization from continuing operations, capital expenditures, number of operating locations, interest expense from continuing operations, and income tax expense (benefit) from continuing operations by segment: Funeral Cemetery Corporate Consolidated (in thousands, except number of operating locations) External revenues from continuing operations: 2015 $ 185,818 $ 56,684 $ — $ 242,502 2014 173,735 52,389 — 226,124 2013 163,082 49,992 — 213,074 Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes: 2015 $ 58,404 $ 17,492 $ (41,306 ) $ 34,590 2014 53,385 15,180 (45,864 ) 22,701 2013 48,206 14,679 (38,520 ) 24,365 Total assets: 2015 $ 591,389 $ 229,479 $ 16,485 $ 837,353 2014 568,842 240,009 18,677 827,528 2013 502,525 227,520 16,554 746,599 Long-lived assets: 2015 $ 472,419 $ 89,866 $ 3,370 $ 565,655 2014 437,735 88,467 1,835 528,037 2013 373,173 85,901 2,654 461,728 Depreciation and amortization from continuing operations: 2015 $ 7,614 $ 4,420 $ 1,746 $ 13,780 2014 6,841 3,704 1,378 11,923 2013 6,440 3,739 1,456 11,635 Capital expenditures: 2015 $ 27,654 $ 5,332 $ 2,838 $ 35,824 2014 16,804 5,606 1,265 23,675 2013 6,436 2,936 1,323 10,695 Number of operating locations at year end: 2015 167 32 — 199 2014 164 32 — 196 2013 161 32 — 193 Interest expense: 2015 $ 577 $ 8 $ 9,974 $ 10,559 2014 316 17 9,975 10,308 2013 323 36 12,263 12,622 Income tax expense (benefit) from continuing operations: 2015 $ 23,195 $ 6,947 $ (16,405 ) $ 13,737 2014 17,061 4,851 (14,657 ) 7,255 2013 18,270 5,563 (14,588 ) 9,245

Supplementary Information (Tabl

Supplementary Information (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Supplemental Income Statement Elements [Abstract]
Supplementary Balance Sheet Disclosures	The detail of certain balance sheet accounts as of December 31, 2014 and 2015 is as follows: December 31, 2014 2015 (in thousands) Other Current Assets: Deferred taxes $ 3,750 $ 4,256 Income tax receivables 3,293 279 Other current assets 101 172 Total other current assets $ 7,144 $ 4,707 Accrued Liabilities: Accrued salaries and wages $ 2,073 $ 2,383 Accrued incentive compensation 5,660 5,862 Accrued vacation 1,978 2,239 Accrued insurance 2,171 2,246 Accrued interest 1,232 1,295 Accrued ad valorem and franchise taxes 537 604 Accrued commissions 654 470 Other accrued liabilities 898 1,442 Total accrued liabilities $ 15,203 $ 16,541
Supplemental Disclosure for the Consolidated Statements of Operations	Year Ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 (in thousands) Revenues: Goods Funeral $ 64,409 $ 66,877 $ 71,399 Cemetery 30,392 32,300 35,479 Total goods $ 94,801 $ 99,177 $ 106,878 Services Funeral $ 89,442 $ 97,375 $ 104,969 Cemetery 10,087 10,556 11,178 Total services $ 99,529 $ 107,931 $ 116,147 Financial revenue Preneed funeral commission income $ 1,853 $ 2,036 $ 1,484 Preneed funeral trust earnings 7,378 7,447 7,966 Cemetery trust earnings 8,095 8,123 8,440 Cemetery finance charges 1,418 1,410 1,587 Total financial revenue $ 18,744 $ 19,016 $ 19,477 Total revenues $ 213,074 $ 226,124 $ 242,502 Cost of revenues: Goods Funeral $ 52,362 $ 54,421 $ 56,819 Cemetery 22,222 23,800 24,600 Total goods $ 74,584 $ 78,221 $ 81,419 Services Funeral $ 46,030 $ 49,357 $ 51,236 Cemetery 6,543 6,860 6,924 Total services $ 52,573 $ 56,217 $ 58,160 Financial expenses Preneed funeral commissions $ 1,213 $ 1,078 $ 1,031 Trust administration fees 227 249 353 Total financial expenses $ 1,440 $ 1,327 $ 1,384 Total cost of revenues $ 128,597 $ 135,765 $ 140,963

Quarterly Financial Data (Una51

Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) Quarterly Financial Data (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Quarterly Financial Information	The tables below set forth consolidated operating results by fiscal quarter for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2015 , in thousands, except earnings per share. First Quarter Second Quarter Third Quarter Fourth Quarter 2015 Revenues $ 63,253 $ 59,261 $ 58,378 $ 61,610 Gross profit 22,209 18,248 17,360 19,691 Net income from continuing operations $ 6,418 $ 4,557 $ 4,444 $ 5,434 Net income available to common stockholders $ 6,418 $ 4,557 $ 4,444 $ 5,434 Basic earnings per common share: $ 0.35 $ 0.25 $ 0.25 $ 0.32 Diluted earnings per common share: (a) $ 0.34 $ 0.24 $ 0.24 $ 0.31 2014 Revenues $ 55,652 $ 56,504 $ 54,549 $ 59,419 Gross profit 18,015 17,989 15,077 18,927 Net income from continuing operations $ 1,631 $ 3,883 $ 4,565 $ 5,367 Net income (loss) from discontinued operations 587 (637 ) 431 11 Net income available to common stockholders $ 2,218 $ 3,246 $ 4,996 $ 5,378 Basic earnings per common share: $ 0.12 $ 0.18 $ 0.27 $ 0.29 Diluted earnings per common share: (a) $ 0.12 $ 0.17 $ 0.26 $ 0.29 (a) Earnings per share are computed independently for each of the quarters presented. Therefore, the sum of the quarterly per share amounts, may not equal the total computed for 2014 and 2015 due to rounding.

Supplemental Disclosure of Ca52

Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information (Tables)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015
Supplemental Cash Flow Information [Abstract]
Supplemental Disclosure for the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows	The following information is supplemental disclosure for the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (in thousands): Year Ended December 31, 2013 2014 2015 Cash paid for interest and financing costs $ 12,248 $ 8,894 $ 9,159 Cash paid for taxes 655 2,674 8,283 Fair value of stock, stock options and performance awards issued to directors, officers, and certain other employees 3,822 8,219 4,879 Restricted common stock withheld for payroll taxes 1,610 1,305 1,580 Net withdrawals (deposits) from / into preneed funeral trusts (3,891 ) (418 ) 12,054 Net withdrawals (deposits) from / into preneed cemetery trusts (1,324 ) 1 8,681 Net withdrawals from perpetual care trusts 3,091 1,857 5,543 Net increase in preneed receivables (1,331 ) (1,731 ) (1,714 ) Net (deposits) withdrawals of receivables into / from preneed trusts 709 (1,643 ) (735 ) Net change in preneed funeral receivables increasing deferred revenue 860 677 483 Net change in preneed cemetery receivables increasing (decreasing) deferred revenue 327 (374 ) (154 ) Net (withdrawals) deposits from / into preneed funeral trust accounts (decreasing) increasing deferred preneed funeral receipts held in trust 3,891 418 (12,054 ) Net (withdrawals) deposits from / into preneed cemetery trust accounts (decreasing) increasing deferred cemetery receipts held in trust 1,324 (1 ) (8,681 ) Net withdrawals from perpetual care trust accounts decreasing care trusts’ corpus (2,949 ) (1,901 ) (5,726 )

Basis of Presentation and Sum53

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Narrative) (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)funeral_homescemeteriesstatessegment	Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)funeral_homesshares	Dec. 31, 2013USD ($)funeral_homescemeteriesshares
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Impairment charge for other-than-temporary declines in fair value	$ 1,800,000	$ 400,000
Number of owned and operated funeral homes (in Funeral Homes) | funeral_homes	167
Number of states in which the entity operated funeral homes (in States) | states	27
Number of owned and operated cemeteries (in Cemetaries) | cemeteries	32
Number of states in which the entity operated cemeteries (in States) | states	11
Number of business segments | segment	2
Cumulative payments to trigger recognition, percent of contract price	10.00%
Accounts receivable, current	$ 18,181,000	19,264,000
Bad debt	$ 1,679,000	2,877,000	$ 2,005,000
Number Of Institutions To Which Management Services Are Provided	2
The percentage of trust assets in custody of institution receiving trust management services	79.00%
Depreciation	$ 10,400,000	9,200,000	$ 8,800,000
Impairment of long lived assets	0
Deferred tax liability	$ 35,699,000	$ 32,664,000
Incremental common shares attributable to dilutive effect of conversion of debt securities | shares		0	4,400,000
Number of funeral homes sold | funeral_homes	0		7
Number of cemeteries sold | cemeteries	0
Goodwill Impairment, Two Step Test, Market Approach, Percentage	70.00%
Goodwill Impairment, Two Step Test, Income Approach, Percentage	30.00%
Long-term debt, net of current portion	$ 103,854,000	$ 111,887,000
Change to income tax expense (benefit)	1,700,000	1,700,000
Unrecognized tax benefits, decrease to interest on income tax expense	600,000	600,000
Impairment of goodwill	0	1,180,000	$ 100,000
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Including Portion Attributable to Noncontrolling Interest	$ 0	392,000	$ 4,176,000
Separate Income Tax Return [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of States in Which Entity Files Separate State Income Tax Returns | states	14
Combined or unitary income tax return
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of States in Which Entity Files Unitary Tax Returns | states	13
Funeral
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Accounts receivable, current	$ 8,200,000	10,000,000
Accounts receivable, noncurrent	7,300,000	7,400,000
Cemetery
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Accounts receivable, current	9,700,000	9,100,000
Accounts receivable, noncurrent	$ 20,700,000	$ 18,900,000
Kentucky
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of funeral homes sold | funeral_homes		1	1
California
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of funeral homes sold | funeral_homes			1
Ohio
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of funeral homes sold | funeral_homes		1	1
Kansas
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of funeral homes sold | funeral_homes			4
Virginia
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of cemeteries sold | cemeteries			1
Florida
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Number of funeral homes sold | funeral_homes		2

Basis of Presentation and Sum54

Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	$ 318,180	$ 281,460
Less: accumulated depreciation	(103,306)	(95,249)
Property, plant and equipment, net	214,874	186,211
Land
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	72,697	66,957
Buildings and improvements
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	$ 173,540	148,483
Buildings and improvements | Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated Useful Lives	15
Buildings and improvements | Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated Useful Lives	40
Furniture and fixtures | Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated Useful Lives	5
Furniture and fixtures | Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated Useful Lives	10
Machinery and equipment | Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated Useful Lives	3
Machinery and equipment | Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated Useful Lives	15
Automobiles | Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated Useful Lives	5
Automobiles | Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Estimated Useful Lives	7
Furniture, equipment and automobiles
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Gross	$ 71,943	$ 66,020

Acquisitions (Narrative) (Detai

Acquisitions (Narrative) (Details) $ in Thousands	Nov. 17, 2015USD ($)installment	Feb. 25, 2015USD ($)installment	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)funeral_homesbusiness	Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)funeral_homesfuneral_home_and_cemeterybusiness
Tennessee Funeral Home
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Consideration transferred		$ 8,800
Payments to acquire businesses		4,250
Present value of future deferred payments		$ 4,500
Number of installment payments | installment		20
Installment payment		$ 300
Deferred payment period		5 years
Number of businesses acquired | business			1
North Carolina Funeral Home
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Consideration transferred	$ 6,200
Payments to acquire businesses	$ 5,480
Number of installment payments | installment	5
Present value of contingent consideration	$ 760
Number of businesses acquired | business			1
Tennessee and North Carolina Funeral Homes
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Consideration transferred			$ 15,018
Payments to acquire businesses			9,725
Present value of future deferred payments			4,531
Present value of contingent consideration			$ 762
Number of businesses acquired | business			2
Number of funeral homes acquired | funeral_homes			2
Business combination, purchase price			$ 15,018
Service Corporation International (SCI)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of businesses acquired | business				6
Number of combination funeral homes/cemeteries acquired | funeral_home_and_cemetery				1
Number of funeral homes acquired | funeral_homes				4
Business combination, purchase price				$ 54,850
Acquired real estate				$ 3,000
Service Corporation International (SCI) | New Orleans, Louisiana
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of combination funeral homes/cemeteries acquired | business				4
Service Corporation International (SCI) | Alexandria, Virginia
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of funeral homes acquired | funeral_homes				2
Initial Purchase Price Allocation | Service Corporation International (SCI)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business combination, purchase price				$ 54,850
Long-term Debt | Tennessee Funeral Home
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Deferred payments		$ 5,500
Other Noncurrent Liabilities | North Carolina Funeral Home
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Contingent consideration	$ 1,000

Acquisitions Acquisitions (Purc

Acquisitions Acquisitions (Purchase Price Breakdown) (Details) - Tennessee and North Carolina Funeral Homes $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Payments to acquire businesses	$ 9,725
Present value of future deferred payments	4,531
Present value of contingent consideration	762
Consideration transferred	$ 15,018

Acquisitions (Fair Value of Ass

Acquisitions (Fair Value of Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Nov. 17, 2015	Feb. 25, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill	$ 264,416			$ 257,442	$ 221,087
Tennessee and North Carolina Funeral Homes
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Deferred charges and other non-current assets	1,986
Current assets	92
Property, plant & equipment	5,966
Goodwill	6,974
Purchase Price	$ 15,018
Tennessee Funeral Home
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Assets Acquired (Excluding Goodwill)			$ 4,900
Liabilities and Debt Assumed			0
Goodwill			$ 3,900
Service Corporation International (SCI)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Current assets				2,126
Property, plant & equipment				16,459
Preneed cemetery trust investments				3,632
Preneed funeral trust investments				45
Goodwill				37,653
Deferred charges and other non-current assets				2,290
Cemetery perpetual care investments				7,491
Obligations under capital leases				(1,960)
Deferred preneed cemetery revenue				(1,718)
Deferred preneed cemetery receipts held in trust				(3,632)
Deferred preneed funeral receipts held in trust				(45)
Care trusts' corpus				(7,491)
Purchase Price				54,850
Service Corporation International (SCI) | Initial Purchase Price Allocation
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Current assets				1,998
Property, plant & equipment				16,457
Preneed cemetery trust investments				3,632
Preneed funeral trust investments				45
Goodwill				33,826
Deferred charges and other non-current assets				6,208
Cemetery perpetual care investments				7,491
Obligations under capital leases				(1,960)
Deferred preneed cemetery revenue				(1,679)
Deferred preneed cemetery receipts held in trust				(3,632)
Deferred preneed funeral receipts held in trust				(45)
Care trusts' corpus				(7,491)
Purchase Price				54,850
Service Corporation International (SCI) | Scenario, Adjustment
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Current assets				128
Property, plant & equipment				2
Preneed cemetery trust investments				0
Preneed funeral trust investments				0
Goodwill				3,827
Deferred charges and other non-current assets				(3,918)
Cemetery perpetual care investments				0
Obligations under capital leases				0
Deferred preneed cemetery revenue				(39)
Deferred preneed cemetery receipts held in trust				0
Deferred preneed funeral receipts held in trust				0
Care trusts' corpus				0
Purchase Price				$ 0
North Carolina Funeral Home
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Assets Acquired (Excluding Goodwill)		$ 3,100
Liabilities and Debt Assumed		0
Goodwill		$ 3,100

Goodwill (Changes in Goodwill)

Goodwill (Changes in Goodwill) (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)funeral_homesbusiness	Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Goodwill, maximum period between step one and step two impairment tests	3 years
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill at the beginning of year	$ 257,442	$ 221,087
Increase in goodwill related to acquisitions	6,974	37,653
Changes in previous estimates	0	101
Net impairment and write-off related to divestitures	0	1,197
Goodwill at the end of the year	264,416	$ 257,442
Tennessee and North Carolina Funeral Homes
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill at the end of the year	$ 6,974
Goodwill [Line Items]
Number of funeral homes acquired | funeral_homes	2
Number of businesses acquired | business	2
Tennessee Funeral Home
Goodwill [Line Items]
Number of businesses acquired | business	1
North Carolina Funeral Home
Goodwill [Line Items]
Number of businesses acquired | business	1

Assets Held for Sale and Discon

Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations (Narrative) (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015funeral_homescemeteries	Dec. 31, 2014funeral_homes	Dec. 31, 2013funeral_homescemeteries
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Number of funeral homes sold	0		7
Number of cemeteries sold | cemeteries	0
Florida
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Number of funeral homes sold		2
Ohio
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Number of funeral homes sold		1	1
Kentucky
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Number of funeral homes sold		1	1
California
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Number of funeral homes sold			1
Kansas
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Number of funeral homes sold			4
Virginia
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Number of cemeteries sold | cemeteries			1

Discontinued Operations Asset60

Discontinued Operations Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations (Assets held for sale and discontinued operations) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 0	$ 817	$ 4,164
Operating income	0	235	729
Impairment	0	(1,180)	(100)
Net gain on disposal	0	1,594	6,091
Income tax provision	0	(257)	(2,544)
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax	$ 0	$ 392	$ 4,176

Preneed Trust Investments (Comp

Preneed Trust Investments (Components of preneed cemetery trust investments) (Details) - Preneed Cemetery Trust Investments - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Preneed cemetery trust investments, at market value	$ 65,486	$ 74,198
Less: allowance for contract cancellation	(2,195)	(2,226)
Available-for-sale securities, current	$ 63,291	$ 71,972

Preneed Trust Investments (Cost

Preneed Trust Investments (Cost and fair market values associated with preneed cemetery trust investments) (Details) - Preneed Cemetery Trust Investments - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Preneed cemetery trust investments	$ 65,486	$ 74,198
Market value as a percentage of cost	88.70%	99.00%
Foreign Debt
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost		$ 5,874
Unrealized Gains		0
Unrealized Losses		(237)
Fair Market Value		5,637
Corporate debt
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost		30,108
Unrealized Gains		362
Unrealized Losses		(2,167)
Fair Market Value		28,303
Preferred stock
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost		19,154
Unrealized Gains		199
Unrealized Losses		(325)
Fair Market Value		19,028
Mortgage backed securities
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost		1
Unrealized Gains		0
Unrealized Losses		0
Fair Market Value		1
Trust securities
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	$ 73,148	74,203
Unrealized Gains	796	2,927
Unrealized Losses	(9,083)	(3,695)
Fair Market Value	64,861	73,435
Accrued investment income
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	625	763
Fair Market Value	625	763
Fair Value, Level 1 | Cash and money market accounts
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	8,296	5,591
Unrealized Gains	0	0
Unrealized Losses	0	0
Fair Market Value	8,296	5,591
Fair Value, Level 1 | Common stock
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	20,387	13,128
Unrealized Gains	682	2,357
Unrealized Losses	(3,161)	(966)
Fair Market Value	17,908	14,519
Fair Value, Level 2 | Municipal bonds
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	458	347
Unrealized Gains	0	9
Unrealized Losses	(63)	0
Fair Market Value	395	$ 356
Fair Value, Level 2 | Foreign Debt
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	4,803
Unrealized Gains	0
Unrealized Losses	(695)
Fair Market Value	4,108
Fair Value, Level 2 | Corporate debt
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	22,968
Unrealized Gains	85
Unrealized Losses	(4,279)
Fair Market Value	18,774
Fair Value, Level 2 | Preferred stock
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	16,236
Unrealized Gains	29
Unrealized Losses	(885)
Fair Market Value	15,380
Fair Value, Level 2 | Mortgage backed securities
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	0
Unrealized Gains	0
Unrealized Losses	0
Fair Market Value	$ 0

Preneed Trust Investments (Esti

Preneed Trust Investments (Estimated maturities of fixed preneed cemetery trust income securities) (Details) - Preneed Cemetery Trust Investments $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Due in one year or less	$ 133
Due in one to five years	4,858
Due in five to ten years	2,324
Thereafter	31,342
Total	$ 38,657

Preneed Trust Investments Prene

Preneed Trust Investments Preneed Trust Investments (Unrealized losses on cemetery merchandise and service trust investments) (Details) - Preneed Cemetery Trust Investments - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Fair market value, In Loss Position Less than12 months	$ 40,857	$ 40,926
Unrealized Losses, In Loss Position Less than12 months	(5,864)	(2,215)
Fair market value, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	12,194	5,317
Unrealized Losses, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	(3,219)	(1,480)
Fair market value, Total	53,051	46,243
Unrealized Losses, Total	(9,083)	(3,695)
Municipal bonds
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Fair market value, In Loss Position Less than12 months	395
Unrealized Losses, In Loss Position Less than12 months	(63)
Fair market value, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	0
Unrealized Losses, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	0
Fair market value, Total	395
Unrealized Losses, Total	(63)
Foreign debt
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Fair market value, In Loss Position Less than12 months	3,680	5,629
Unrealized Losses, In Loss Position Less than12 months	(384)	(237)
Fair market value, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	406	0
Unrealized Losses, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	(312)	0
Fair market value, Total	4,086	5,629
Unrealized Losses, Total	(696)	(237)
Corporate debt
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Fair market value, In Loss Position Less than12 months	14,468	18,051
Unrealized Losses, In Loss Position Less than12 months	(2,992)	(778)
Fair market value, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	3,056	2,016
Unrealized Losses, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	(1,287)	(1,389)
Fair market value, Total	17,524	20,067
Unrealized Losses, Total	(4,279)	(2,167)
Preferred stock
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Fair market value, In Loss Position Less than12 months	10,285	10,342
Unrealized Losses, In Loss Position Less than12 months	(436)	(289)
Fair market value, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	5,168	3,236
Unrealized Losses, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	(448)	(36)
Fair market value, Total	15,453	13,578
Unrealized Losses, Total	(884)	(325)
Common stock
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Fair market value, In Loss Position Less than12 months	12,029	6,904
Unrealized Losses, In Loss Position Less than12 months	(1,989)	(911)
Fair market value, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	3,564	65
Unrealized Losses, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	(1,172)	(55)
Fair market value, Total	15,593	6,969
Unrealized Losses, Total	$ (3,161)	$ (966)

Preneed Trust Investments (Pren

Preneed Trust Investments (Preneed cemetery trust investment security transactions) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Impairment charge for other-than-temporary declines in fair value	$ 1,800	$ 400
Investment income	5,315	4,713	$ 4,063
Increase in deferred preneed cemetery receipts held in trust	(5,751)	(5,825)	(5,574)
Preneed Cemetery Trust Investments
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Impairment charge for other-than-temporary declines in fair value	700	200
Investment income	2,562	2,840	3,349
Realized gains	2,952	5,712	3,018
Realized losses	(3,671)	(2,789)	(763)
Expenses and taxes	(1,790)	(1,716)	(2,934)
Increase in deferred preneed cemetery receipts held in trust	$ (53)	$ (4,047)	$ (2,670)

Preneed Trust Investments (Purc

Preneed Trust Investments (Purchases and sales of investments in preneed cemetery trusts) (Details) - Preneed Cemetery Trust Investments - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Purchases	$ (26,757)	$ (53,443)	$ (46,558)
Sales	$ 23,141	$ 58,022	$ 47,318

Preneed Trust Investments (Co67

Preneed Trust Investments (Components of preneed funeral trust investments) (Details) - Preneed Funeral Trust Investments - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Preneed cemetery trust investments, at market value	$ 88,444	$ 100,579
Less: allowance for contract cancellation	(2,891)	(2,972)
Available-for-sale securities, current	$ 85,553	$ 97,607

Preneed Trust Investments (Co68

Preneed Trust Investments (Cost and fair market values associated with preneed funeral trust investments) (Details) - Preneed Funeral Trust Investments - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	$ 96,343	$ 99,038
Unrealized Gains	1,057	4,176
Unrealized Losses	(9,644)	(3,250)
Fair Market Value	87,756	99,964
Preneed cemetery trust investments, at market value	$ 88,444	$ 100,579
Market value as a percentage of cost	91.10%	100.90%
Accrued investment income
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	$ 688	$ 615
Fair Market Value	688	615
Fair Value, Level 1 | Cash and money market accounts
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	21,458	17,501
Unrealized Gains	0	0
Unrealized Losses	0	0
Fair Market Value	21,458	17,501
Fair Value, Level 1 | U.S. debt
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	1,492	2,037
Unrealized Gains	24	32
Unrealized Losses	(12)	(15)
Fair Market Value	1,504	2,054
Fair Value, Level 1 | Common stock
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	20,864	10,544
Unrealized Gains	738	1,926
Unrealized Losses	(3,114)	(783)
Fair Market Value	18,488	11,687
Fair Value, Level 1 | Equity Securities
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	0	14,126
Unrealized Gains	0	1,370
Unrealized Losses	0	(181)
Fair Market Value	0	15,315
Fair Value, Level 2 | U.S. agency obligations
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	478	30
Unrealized Gains	0	0
Unrealized Losses	(66)	0
Fair Market Value	412	30
Fair Value, Level 2 | Foreign Debt
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	4,938	4,653
Unrealized Gains	0	0
Unrealized Losses	(711)	(188)
Fair Market Value	4,227	4,465
Fair Value, Level 2 | Corporate debt
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	24,787	24,761
Unrealized Gains	133	469
Unrealized Losses	(4,711)	(1,718)
Fair Market Value	20,209	23,512
Fair Value, Level 2 | Preferred stock
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	17,496	16,166
Unrealized Gains	158	256
Unrealized Losses	(914)	(261)
Fair Market Value	16,740	16,161
Fair Value, Level 2 | Collateralized Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	273	309
Unrealized Gains	4	8
Unrealized Losses	(4)	(3)
Fair Market Value	273	314
Fair Value, Level 2 | Fixed Income Securities
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	959	5,351
Unrealized Gains	0	115
Unrealized Losses	(82)	(72)
Fair Market Value	877	5,394
Fair Value, Level 2 | Other investments
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	3,598	3,560
Unrealized Gains	0	0
Unrealized Losses	(30)	(29)
Fair Market Value	$ 3,568	$ 3,531

Preneed Trust Investments Pre69

Preneed Trust Investments Preneed Trust Investments (Estimated maturities of fixed preneed funeral trust income securities) (Details) - Preneed Funeral Trust Investments $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Due in one year or less	$ 144
Due in one to five years	5,794
Due in five to ten years	3,272
Thereafter	34,155
Total	$ 43,365

Preneed Trust Investments Pre70

Preneed Trust Investments Preneed Trust Investments (Unrealized losses on preneed funeral trust investments) (Details) - Preneed Funeral Trust Investments - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Fair market value, In Loss Position Less than12 months	$ 42,577	$ 38,267
Available-for-Sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less Than Twelve Months, Unrealized Losses	(6,162)	(1,975)
Fair market value, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	15,322	6,209
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Unrealized Losses	(3,482)	(1,275)
Fair market value, Total	57,899	44,476
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Unrealized Losses	(9,644)	(3,250)
U.S. debt
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Fair market value, In Loss Position Less than12 months	0	500
Available-for-Sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less Than Twelve Months, Unrealized Losses	0	0
Fair market value, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	1,504	836
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Unrealized Losses	(12)	(15)
Fair market value, Total	1,504	1,336
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Unrealized Losses	(12)	(15)
Municipal bonds
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Fair market value, In Loss Position Less than12 months	413
Available-for-Sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less Than Twelve Months, Unrealized Losses	(66)
Fair market value, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Unrealized Losses	0
Fair market value, Total	413
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Unrealized Losses	(66)
Foreign debt
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Fair market value, In Loss Position Less than12 months	3,763	4,471
Available-for-Sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less Than Twelve Months, Unrealized Losses	(392)	(188)
Fair market value, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	416	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Unrealized Losses	(319)	0
Fair market value, Total	4,179	4,471
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Unrealized Losses	(711)	(188)
Corporate debt
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Fair market value, In Loss Position Less than12 months	15,929	14,310
Available-for-Sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less Than Twelve Months, Unrealized Losses	(3,294)	(617)
Fair market value, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	3,364	1,598
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Unrealized Losses	(1,417)	(1,101)
Fair market value, Total	19,293	15,908
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Unrealized Losses	(4,711)	(1,718)
Preferred stock
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Fair market value, In Loss Position Less than12 months	10,623	8,300
Available-for-Sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less Than Twelve Months, Unrealized Losses	(451)	(232)
Fair market value, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	5,338	2,597
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Unrealized Losses	(463)	(29)
Fair market value, Total	15,961	10,897
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Unrealized Losses	(914)	(261)
Mortgage backed securities
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Fair market value, In Loss Position Less than12 months	0	0
Available-for-Sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less Than Twelve Months, Unrealized Losses	0	0
Fair market value, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	272	51
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Unrealized Losses	(4)	(3)
Fair market value, Total	272	51
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Unrealized Losses	(4)	(3)
Equity
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Fair market value, In Loss Position Less than12 months	11,848	5,594
Available-for-Sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less Than Twelve Months, Unrealized Losses	(1,959)	(739)
Fair market value, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	3,510	53
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Unrealized Losses	(1,154)	(44)
Fair market value, Total	15,358	5,647
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Unrealized Losses	(3,113)	(783)
Equity and other
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Fair market value, In Loss Position Less than12 months	0	4,204
Available-for-Sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less Than Twelve Months, Unrealized Losses	0	(180)
Fair market value, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	0	6
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Unrealized Losses	0	(1)
Fair market value, Total	0	4,210
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Unrealized Losses	0	(181)
Fixed income
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Fair market value, In Loss Position Less than12 months	1	888
Available-for-Sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less Than Twelve Months, Unrealized Losses	0	(19)
Fair market value, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	876	1,026
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Unrealized Losses	(82)	(53)
Fair market value, Total	877	1,914
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Unrealized Losses	(82)	(72)
Other investments
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Fair market value, In Loss Position Less than12 months	0	0
Available-for-Sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less Than Twelve Months, Unrealized Losses	0	0
Fair market value, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	42	42
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Unrealized Losses	(31)	(29)
Fair market value, Total	42	42
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Unrealized Losses	$ (31)	$ (29)

Preneed Trust Investments (Pr71

Preneed Trust Investments (Preneed funeral trust investment security transactions) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Impairment charge for other-than-temporary declines in fair value		$ 1,800	$ 400
Investment income		5,315	4,713	$ 4,063
Increase in deferred preneed cemetery receipts held in trust		(5,751)	(5,825)	(5,574)
Preneed Funeral Trust Investments
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Impairment charge for other-than-temporary declines in fair value	$ 600		100
Investment income		2,819	3,065	3,190
Realized gains		3,931	7,184	7,957
Realized losses		(3,979)	(2,313)	(5,743)
Expenses and taxes		(988)	(1,470)	(1,669)
Increase in deferred preneed cemetery receipts held in trust		$ (1,783)	$ (6,466)	$ (3,735)

Preneed Trust Investments (Pu72

Preneed Trust Investments (Purchases and sales of investments in preneed funeral trusts) (Details) - Preneed Funeral Trust Investments - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Purchases	$ (26,021)	$ (57,297)	$ (38,592)
Sales	$ 42,582	$ 60,352	$ 39,853

Preneed Cemetery Receivables (N

Preneed Cemetery Receivables (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Preneed Cemetery Receivables [Abstract]
Term of sales contract for cemetery interment rights, maximum (in years)	5 years
Balance of receivables for preneed cemetery interment rights	$ 26.8	$ 24.5
Balance of receivables for preneed cemetery interment related products and services	9.7	9.4
Amount of receivables for preneed cemetery interment rights and related products and services presented in accounts receivables	11.2	10.6
Amount of receivables for preneed cemetery interment rights and related products and services presented in preneed receivables	25.3	23.3
Unearned Finance Charges Included In Receivables	$ 5.2	$ 4.6
Past due notifications starting date (in days)	15 days
Accounts receivable allowance percentage on contracts past due 120 days or more (in percent)	100.00%
Number of days past due contractual payments are when they are provided for with a one hundred percent allowance (in Days)	90 days
Percent of total receivables which are 120 days or more past due (in percent)	5.10%

Preneed Cemetery Receivables (P

Preneed Cemetery Receivables (Preneed cemetery receivables) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable [Roll Forward]
Provision for losses on accounts receivable	$ 1,679	$ 2,877	$ 2,005
Preneed Cemetery Receivables
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	2,140	1,347
Write-offs and cancellations	(1,462)	(1,172)
Provision for losses on accounts receivable	1,087	1,965
Ending balance	$ 1,765	$ 2,140	$ 1,347

Preneed Cemetery Receivables (A

Preneed Cemetery Receivables (Aging of past due financing receivables) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Financing Receivable Recorded Investment Past Due [Line Items]
Total Past Due	$ 3,408	$ 4,188
Current	33,122	29,727
Total Financing Receivables	36,530	33,915
Recognized Revenue
Financing Receivable Recorded Investment Past Due [Line Items]
Total Past Due	2,490	2,852
Current	22,742	21,394
Total Financing Receivables	25,232	24,246
Deferred Revenue
Financing Receivable Recorded Investment Past Due [Line Items]
Total Past Due	918	1,336
Current	10,380	8,333
Total Financing Receivables	11,298	9,669
31-60 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable Recorded Investment Past Due [Line Items]
Total Past Due	1,031	1,052
31-60 Days Past Due | Recognized Revenue
Financing Receivable Recorded Investment Past Due [Line Items]
Total Past Due	758	756
31-60 Days Past Due | Deferred Revenue
Financing Receivable Recorded Investment Past Due [Line Items]
Total Past Due	273	296
61-90 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable Recorded Investment Past Due [Line Items]
Total Past Due	653	611
61-90 Days Past Due | Recognized Revenue
Financing Receivable Recorded Investment Past Due [Line Items]
Total Past Due	446	407
61-90 Days Past Due | Deferred Revenue
Financing Receivable Recorded Investment Past Due [Line Items]
Total Past Due	207	204
91-120 Days Past Due
Financing Receivable Recorded Investment Past Due [Line Items]
Total Past Due	328	366
91-120 Days Past Due | Recognized Revenue
Financing Receivable Recorded Investment Past Due [Line Items]
Total Past Due	225	250
91-120 Days Past Due | Deferred Revenue
Financing Receivable Recorded Investment Past Due [Line Items]
Total Past Due	103	116
Greater than 120 Day Past Due
Financing Receivable Recorded Investment Past Due [Line Items]
Total Past Due	1,396	2,159
Greater than 120 Day Past Due | Recognized Revenue
Financing Receivable Recorded Investment Past Due [Line Items]
Total Past Due	1,061	1,439
Greater than 120 Day Past Due | Deferred Revenue
Financing Receivable Recorded Investment Past Due [Line Items]
Total Past Due	$ 335	$ 720

Receivables from Preneed Trus76

Receivables from Preneed Trusts (Receivables from preneed funeral trust funds) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Receivables From Preneed Trusts [Abstract]
Preneed trust funds, at cost	$ 13,963	$ 13,205
Less: allowance for contract cancellation	(419)	(396)
Receivables from preneed funeral trusts	$ 13,544	$ 12,809

Receivables from Preneed Trus77

Receivables from Preneed Trusts Receivables from Preneed Trusts (Composition of Asset Held in Trusts) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Historical Cost Basis
Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Assets Held-in-trust	$ 13,963	$ 13,205
Historical Cost Basis | Cash and Cash Equivalents
Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Assets Held-in-trust	2,898	2,834
Historical Cost Basis | Fixed Income Investments
Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Assets Held-in-trust	8,423	7,880
Historical Cost Basis | Mutual Funds And Common Stocks
Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Assets Held-in-trust	2,626	2,467
Historical Cost Basis | Annuities
Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Assets Held-in-trust	16	24
Fair Value
Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Assets Held-in-trust	13,965	13,337
Fair Value | Cash and Cash Equivalents
Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Assets Held-in-trust	2,898	2,834
Fair Value | Fixed Income Investments
Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Assets Held-in-trust	8,426	7,893
Fair Value | Mutual Funds And Common Stocks
Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Assets Held-in-trust	2,625	2,586
Fair Value | Annuities
Investment Holdings [Line Items]
Assets Held-in-trust	$ 16	$ 24

Contracts Secured by Insurance

Contracts Secured by Insurance (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Contracts Secured by Insurance [Abstract]
Preneed funeral contracts secured by insurance	$ 324	$ 313

Cemetery Perpetual Care Trust79

Cemetery Perpetual Care Trust Investments (The Components of Care trusts' corpus) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Care trusts’ corpus	$ 42,416	$ 48,142
Perpetual Care Trust Invesments
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Trust assets, at market value	43,127	48,670
Obligations due from trust	(711)	(528)
Care trusts’ corpus	$ 42,416	$ 48,142

Cemetery Perpetual Care Trust80

Cemetery Perpetual Care Trust Investments (Cost and fair market values associated with the trust investments held in perpetual care trust funds) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Impairment charge for other-than-temporary declines in fair value	$ 1,800	$ 400
Perpetual Care Trust Invesments
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cemetery perpetual care investments	$ (43,127)	$ (48,670)
Market value as a percentage of cost	88.20%	99.00%
Impairment charge for other-than-temporary declines in fair value	$ 500	$ 100
Perpetual Care Trust Invesments | Cash and money market accounts | Fair Value, Level 1
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	5,472	3,206
Unrealized Gains	0	0
Unrealized Losses	0	0
Fair Market Value	5,472	3,206
Perpetual Care Trust Invesments | Municipal bonds | Fair Value, Level 2
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	325	229
Unrealized Gains	0	5
Unrealized Losses	(45)	0
Fair Market Value	280	234
Perpetual Care Trust Invesments | Foreign debt | Fair Value, Level 2
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	3,232	3,871
Unrealized Gains	0	0
Unrealized Losses	(480)	(156)
Fair Market Value	2,752	3,715
Perpetual Care Trust Invesments | Corporate debt | Fair Value, Level 2
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	16,216	19,911
Unrealized Gains	57	248
Unrealized Losses	(3,094)	(1,428)
Fair Market Value	13,179	18,731
Perpetual Care Trust Invesments | Preferred stock | Fair Value, Level 2
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	11,263	12,694
Unrealized Gains	20	137
Unrealized Losses	(611)	(214)
Fair Market Value	10,672	12,617
Perpetual Care Trust Invesments | Common stock | Fair Value, Level 1
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	11,945	8,747
Unrealized Gains	393	1,568
Unrealized Losses	(1,939)	(653)
Fair Market Value	10,399	9,662
Perpetual Care Trust Invesments | Trust securities
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	48,453	48,658
Unrealized Gains	470	1,958
Unrealized Losses	(6,169)	(2,451)
Fair Market Value	42,754	48,165
Perpetual Care Trust Invesments | Accrued investment income
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Cost	373	505
Fair Market Value	$ 373	$ 505

Cemetery Perpetual Care Trust81

Cemetery Perpetual Care Trust Investments (Estimated maturities of fixed perpetual care trust income securities) (Details) - Perpetual Care Trust Invesments $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Due in one year or less	$ 79
Due in one to five years	3,391
Due in five to ten years	1,690
Thereafter	21,723
Total	$ 26,883

Cemetery Perpetual Care Trust82

Cemetery Perpetual Care Trust Investments Cemetery Perpetual Care Trust Investments (Unrealized losses on perpetual care trust investments) (Details) - Perpetual Care Trust Invesments - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Fair market value, In Loss Position Less than12 months	$ 27,763	$ 27,093
Unrealized Losses, In Loss Position Less than12 months	(3,995)	(1,476)
Fair market value, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	8,245	3,505
Unrealized Losses, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	(2,174)	(975)
Fair market value, Total	36,008	30,598
Unrealized Losses, Total	(6,169)	(2,451)
Municipal bonds
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Fair market value, In Loss Position Less than12 months	280
Unrealized Losses, In Loss Position Less than12 months	(45)
Fair market value, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	0
Unrealized Losses, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	0
Fair market value, Total	280
Unrealized Losses, Total	(45)
Foreign debt
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Fair market value, In Loss Position Less than12 months	2,541	3,716
Unrealized Losses, In Loss Position Less than12 months	(265)	(156)
Fair market value, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	281	0
Unrealized Losses, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	(215)	0
Fair market value, Total	2,822	3,716
Unrealized Losses, Total	(480)	(156)
Corporate debt
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Fair market value, In Loss Position Less than12 months	10,463	11,893
Unrealized Losses, In Loss Position Less than12 months	(2,164)	(513)
Fair market value, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	2,210	1,328
Unrealized Losses, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	(931)	(915)
Fair market value, Total	12,673	13,221
Unrealized Losses, Total	(3,095)	(1,428)
Preferred stock
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Fair market value, In Loss Position Less than12 months		6,821
Unrealized Losses, In Loss Position Less than12 months		(191)
Fair market value, In Loss Position Greater than12 months		2,133
Unrealized Losses, In Loss Position Greater than12 months		(23)
Fair market value, Total		8,954
Unrealized Losses, Total		(214)
Preferred stock
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Fair market value, In Loss Position Less than12 months	7,100
Unrealized Losses, In Loss Position Less than12 months	(301)
Fair market value, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	3,568
Unrealized Losses, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	(309)
Fair market value, Total	10,668
Unrealized Losses, Total	(610)
Common stock
Gain (Loss) on Investments [Line Items]
Fair market value, In Loss Position Less than12 months	7,379	4,663
Unrealized Losses, In Loss Position Less than12 months	(1,220)	(616)
Fair market value, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	2,186	44
Unrealized Losses, In Loss Position Greater than12 months	(719)	(37)
Fair market value, Total	9,565	4,707
Unrealized Losses, Total	$ (1,939)	$ (653)

Cemetery Perpetual Care Trust83

Cemetery Perpetual Care Trust Investments (Perpetual care trust investment security transactions recorded in interest income and other, net) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Increase in deferred preneed cemetery receipts held in trust	$ (5,751)	$ (5,825)	$ (5,574)
Perpetual Care Trust Invesments | Other Interest Income
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Realized gains	(1,773)	(3,468)	(2,172)
Realized losses	(2,431)	(1,748)	(542)
Increase in deferred preneed cemetery receipts held in trust	$ 658	$ (1,720)	$ (1,630)

Cemetery Perpetual Care Trust84

Cemetery Perpetual Care Trust Investments (Perpetual care trust investment security transactions recorded in Cemetery revenue) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Cemetery Perpetual Care Trust Investments [Abstract]
Investment income	$ 5,315	$ 4,713	$ 4,063
Realized gains, net	436	1,112	1,511
Increase in Care trusts’ corpus	$ 5,751	$ 5,825	$ 5,574

Cemetery Perpetual Care Trust85

Cemetery Perpetual Care Trust Investments (Purchases and sales of investments in perpetual care trusts) (Details) - Perpetual Care Trust Invesments - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Schedule of Trading Securities and Other Trading Assets [Line Items]
Purchases	$ (16,694)	$ (38,413)	$ (27,719)
Sales	$ 14,710	$ 35,402	$ 28,261

Deferred Charges and Other No86

Deferred Charges and Other Non-Current Assets Deferred Charges and Other Non-Current Assets (Details) - USD ($)	Mar. 19, 2014	Nov. 30, 2015	Feb. 28, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Deferred Costs and Other Noncurrent Assets [Abstract]
Loan issuance and origination costs, net of accumulated amortization				$ 1,445,000	$ 1,870,000
Accumulated amortization of loan issuance and origination costs				2,809,000	1,252,000
Tradenames				8,856,000	7,660,000
Other				210,000	323,000
Deferred charges and other non-current assets				15,192,000	14,264,000
Convertible junior subordinated debenture
Deferred Costs and Other Noncurrent Assets [Abstract]
Accumulated amortization of loan issuance and origination costs				$ 0	1,095,000
Convertible subordinated notes
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Debt instrument, term	7 years			7 years
Deferred Costs and Other Noncurrent Assets [Abstract]
Loan issuance and origination costs, net of accumulated amortization				$ 2,769,000	3,252,000
Accumulated amortization of loan issuance and origination costs				375,000	0
Noncompete Agreements
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Amortization of intangible assets				299,742	348,602	$ 79,207
Deferred Costs and Other Noncurrent Assets [Abstract]
Prepaid agreements not to compete, net of accumulated amortization of $5,105 and $5,404, respectively				1,912,000	1,159,000
Accumulated amortization of prepaid agreements to not compete				$ 5,105,000	$ 4,807,000
Noncompete agreements acquired		$ 800,000
Noncompete Agreements | Minimum
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Term of agreements not to compete				1 year
Noncompete Agreements | Maximum
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets [Line Items]
Term of agreements not to compete				10 years
Trade Names
Deferred Costs and Other Noncurrent Assets [Abstract]
Tradenames acquired			$ 1,200,000

Long-Term Debt Long-Term Debt87

Long-Term Debt Long-Term Debt (Senior long-term debt) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	$ 208,466
Less: current portion	(12,012)	$ (9,630)
Total long-term debt	196,454	152,387
Notes payable, other | Acquisition Debt
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	4,929	1,205
Revolving Credit Facility | Line of Credit | Revolving Credit Facility, Secured, Floating Rate
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	92,600	40,500
Credit Facility, Term Note | Notes payable, other
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	$ 110,900	$ 120,312

Long-Term Debt Long-Term Debt88

Long-Term Debt Long-Term Debt (Narrative) (Details) $ in Thousands	May. 20, 2015USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility, current borrowing capacity		$ 325,000
Principal amount		$ 208,466
Ratio of indebtedness to net capital (in ratio)		2.97
Debt compliance, required minimum fixed charge ratio		1.20
Ratio of earnings to fixed cost obligations (in ratio)		2.79
Before June 29, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt compliance, required maximum leverage ratio		3.25
After June 29, 2013
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt compliance, required maximum leverage ratio		3.50
Line of Credit | Prime Rate Option
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument interest rate (in percent)		1.50%
Line of Credit | LIBOR Margin Option
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument interest rate (in percent)		2.50%
Deferred Purchase Price Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument interest rate (in percent)		0.00%
Deferred Purchase Price Notes | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument interest rate (in percent)		7.00%
Deferred purchase price notes payable to sellers of acquired entities, discounted imputed interest rate (in Percent)		8.50%
Debt instrument, term		5 years
Deferred Purchase Price Notes | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument interest rate (in percent)		11.00%
Deferred purchase price notes payable to sellers of acquired entities, discounted imputed interest rate (in Percent)		10.00%
Debt instrument, term		20 years
Revolving Credit Facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility, current borrowing capacity		$ 200,000
Line of credit facility, potential increase to borrowing capacity		50,000
Revolving Credit Facility | Line of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Minimum unrestricted cash and undrawn borrowing capacity	$ 15,000
Maximum senior secured leverage ratio	3.25
Credit Facility, Term Note
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Line of credit facility, current borrowing capacity		$ 125,000
Line of credit facility, weighted average interest rate		2.60%

Long-Term Debt Long-Term Debt89

Long-Term Debt Long-Term Debt (Aggregate Maturities) (Details) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
2,016	$ 12,012
2,017	13,499
2,018	15,184
2,019	167,168
2,020	383
2021 and thereafter	220
Carrying value of the liability component	$ 208,466

Convertible Subordinated Note90

Convertible Subordinated Notes (Narrative) (Details)	Mar. 19, 2014USD ($)component$ / shares	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount			$ 208,466,000
Debt instrument maturity date		Mar. 15, 2021
Payment of debt issuance costs			0	$ 4,650,000	$ 0
Deferred tax liability			1,436,000	1,448,000
Amortization of debt issuance costs			921,000	908,000	$ 362,000
Convertible subordinated notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	$ 143,750,000		$ 143,750,000	$ 143,750,000
Debt instrument interest rate (in percent)	2.75%
Debt conversion (shares per $1,000)	0.0443169
Debt conversion (in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 22.56
Debt redemption price (percent)	100.00%
Payment of debt issuance costs	$ 4,700,000
Debt instrument, term	7 years		7 years
Number of recognition components, convertible debt | component	2
Deferred tax liability			$ 12,700,000
Long-term debt, fair value			170,500,000
Interest expense			4,000,000
Amortization of debt issuance costs			500,000
Accretion of discount			$ 3,500,000
Remaining discount amortization period			62 months
Effective interest rate (percent)			6.75%

Convertible Subordinated Note91

Convertible Subordinated Notes Convertible Subordinated Notes (Liability and Equity Components) (Details) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Mar. 19, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	$ 208,466,000
Unamortized discount of liability component	(25,754,000)
Convertible subordinated notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal amount	143,750,000	$ 143,750,000	$ 143,750,000
Unamortized discount of liability component	(25,754,000)	(29,208,000)
Carrying value of the liability component	117,996,000	114,542,000
Equity component carrying value	$ 17,973,000	$ 17,973,000

Convertible Subordinated Note92

Convertible Subordinated Notes (5 Year Maturity For Convertible Subordinated Notes) (Details) - USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Mar. 19, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Maturity, 2016	$ 12,012,000
Principal Maturity, 2017	13,499,000
Principal Maturity, 2018	15,184,000
Principal Maturity, 2019	167,168,000
Principal Maturity, 2020	383,000
Principal Maturity, 2020 and thereafter	220,000
Carrying value of the liability component	208,466,000
Discount Amortization, 2016	(3,867,000)
Discount Amortization, 2017	(4,328,000)
Discount Amortization, 2018	(4,844,000)
Discount Amortization, 2019	(5,422,000)
Discount Amortization, 2020	(6,068,000)
Discount Amortization, 2021 and thereafter	(1,225,000)
Discount Amortization, Total	(25,754,000)
Convertible subordinated notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Maturity, 2016	0
Principal Maturity, 2017	0
Principal Maturity, 2018	0
Principal Maturity, 2019	0
Principal Maturity, 2020	0
Principal Maturity, 2020 and thereafter	143,750,000
Carrying value of the liability component	143,750,000	$ 143,750,000	$ 143,750,000
Discount Amortization, Total	(25,754,000)	(29,208,000)
Present Value, 2016	(3,867,000)
Present Value, 2017	(4,328,000)
Present Value, 2018	(4,844,000)
Present Value, 2019	(5,422,000)
Present Value, 2020	(6,068,000)
Present Value, 2021 and thereafter	142,525,000
Carrying value of the liability component	$ 117,996,000	$ 114,542,000

Convertible Junior Subordinat93

Convertible Junior Subordinated Debentures Payable to Affiliate and Company Obligated Mandatorily Redeemable Convertible preferred Securities of Carriage Services Capital Trust (Details) - USD ($)	1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 1999	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Apr. 30, 2014	Mar. 17, 2014
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Proceeds from the issuance of convertible subordinated notes			$ 0	$ 143,750,000	$ 0
Convertible preferred securities
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Rate of accumulation of deferred distributions	7.00%
Carriage Services Capital Trust | Convertible junior subordinated debenture
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Debt instrument interest rate (in percent)	7.00%
Debt instrument, face amount	$ 93,750,000
Convertible junior subordinated debentures due in 2029 to an affiliate				$ 89,770,000		$ 27,900,000
Redemption price (dollars per principal base)							$ 50
Redemption price, principal base							$ 50
Repayments of long-term debt		$ 61,900,000
Repayment of long-term debt, call premium		$ 900,000
Carriage Services Capital Trust | Convertible preferred securities
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Shares issued (in shares)	1,875,000
Proceeds from the issuance of convertible subordinated notes	$ 90,000,000
Liquidation value per share (in dollars per share)			$ 50
Equivalent conversion price			$ 20.4375

Commitments and Contingencies (

Commitments and Contingencies (Narrative) (Details) $ in Thousands	Aug. 17, 2007plaintiffs	Apr. 30, 2009defendants	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2010
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Rent expense			$ 6,500	$ 6,400	$ 6,600
Assets aquired under capital leases			2,900	3,100
Agreements, Future Payments, Due in One Year			5,113
Agreements, Future Payments, Due in Two Years			3,782
Agreements, Future Payments, Due in Three Years			1,864
Agreements, Future Payments, Due in Four Years			1,216
Agreements, Future Payments, Due in Five Years			807
Agreements, Future Payments, Due Thereafter			693
Matching contributions and plan administrative expenses			1,700	1,600	1,400
Cemetery business and accounting services expense			1,900	1,900	1,000
Cemetery Business And Accounting Services Expense Paid			1,000	$ 1,000	$ 1,900
Punative class action | Leatherman versus Grandview Memorial Gardens Inc
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Number of plaintiffs | plaintiffs	5
Number of defendants | defendants		2
Number of days to retain new counsel (in days)						60 days
Noncompete Agreements
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Agreements, Future Payments, Due in One Year			1,612
Agreements, Future Payments, Due in Two Years			1,296
Agreements, Future Payments, Due in Three Years			986
Agreements, Future Payments, Due in Four Years			776
Agreements, Future Payments, Due in Five Years			500
Agreements, Future Payments, Due Thereafter			458
Consulting Agreement
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Agreements, Future Payments, Due in One Year			1,366
Agreements, Future Payments, Due in Two Years			1,281
Agreements, Future Payments, Due in Three Years			673
Agreements, Future Payments, Due in Four Years			440
Agreements, Future Payments, Due in Five Years			307
Agreements, Future Payments, Due Thereafter			235
Employment Agreement
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Agreements, Future Payments, Due in One Year			2,135
Agreements, Future Payments, Due in Two Years			1,205
Agreements, Future Payments, Due in Three Years			205
Agreements, Future Payments, Due in Four Years			0
Agreements, Future Payments, Due in Five Years			0
Agreements, Future Payments, Due Thereafter			$ 0
Minimum
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Agreements, Term of Contract			1 year
Minimum | Noncompete Agreements
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Agreements, Term of Contract			1 year
Minimum | Consulting Agreement
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Agreements, Term of Contract			1 year
Minimum | Employment Agreement
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Agreements, Term of Contract			3 years
Maximum
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Agreements, Term of Contract			12 years
Maximum | Noncompete Agreements
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Agreements, Term of Contract			10 years
Maximum | Consulting Agreement
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Agreements, Term of Contract			10 years
Maximum | Employment Agreement
Loss Contingencies [Line Items]
Agreements, Term of Contract			4 years

Commitments and Contingencies95

Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
2,016	$ 4,790
2,017	4,111
2,018	3,174
2,019	2,900
2,020	2,041
Thereafter	1,718
Total future minimum lease payments	18,734
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
2,016	477
2,017	483
2,018	421
2,019	388
2,020	334
Thereafter	3,329
Total future minimum lease payments	5,432
Less: amount representing interest (rates ranging from 7% to 11.5%)	(2,334)
Less: current portion of obligations under capital leases	(223)
Long-term obligations under capital leases	$ 2,875	$ 3,098
Capital Lease Obligations | Minimum
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
Future Minimum Lease Payments Interest Rate	7.00%
Capital Lease Obligations | Maximum
Capital Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Fiscal Year Maturity [Abstract]
Future Minimum Lease Payments Interest Rate	11.50%

Commitments and Contingencies96

Commitments and Contingencies Commitments and Contingencies (Non-Compete, Consulting and Employment Agreements) (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Other Commitment, Due in Next Twelve Months	$ 5,113
Other Commitment, Due in Second Year	3,782
Other Commitment, Due in Third Year	1,864
Other Commitment, Due in Fourth Year	1,216
Other Commitment, Due in Fifth Year	807
Other Commitment, Due after Fifth Year	693
Other Commitment	13,475
Noncompete Agreements [Member]
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Other Commitment, Due in Next Twelve Months	1,612
Other Commitment, Due in Second Year	1,296
Other Commitment, Due in Third Year	986
Other Commitment, Due in Fourth Year	776
Other Commitment, Due in Fifth Year	500
Other Commitment, Due after Fifth Year	458
Other Commitment	5,628
Consulting Agreement [Member]
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Other Commitment, Due in Next Twelve Months	1,366
Other Commitment, Due in Second Year	1,281
Other Commitment, Due in Third Year	673
Other Commitment, Due in Fourth Year	440
Other Commitment, Due in Fifth Year	307
Other Commitment, Due after Fifth Year	235
Other Commitment	4,302
Employment Agreement [Member]
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Other Commitment, Due in Next Twelve Months	2,135
Other Commitment, Due in Second Year	1,205
Other Commitment, Due in Third Year	205
Other Commitment, Due in Fourth Year	0
Other Commitment, Due in Fifth Year	0
Other Commitment, Due after Fifth Year	0
Other Commitment	$ 3,545
Minimum
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Other Commitment, Term of Contract	1 year
Minimum | Noncompete Agreements [Member]
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Other Commitment, Term of Contract	1 year
Minimum | Consulting Agreement [Member]
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Other Commitment, Term of Contract	1 year
Minimum | Employment Agreement [Member]
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Other Commitment, Term of Contract	3 years
Maximum
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Other Commitment, Term of Contract	12 years
Maximum | Noncompete Agreements [Member]
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Other Commitment, Term of Contract	10 years
Maximum | Consulting Agreement [Member]
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Other Commitment, Term of Contract	10 years
Maximum | Employment Agreement [Member]
Other Commitments [Line Items]
Other Commitment, Term of Contract	4 years

Income Taxes Income Taxes (Prov

Income Taxes Income Taxes (Provision of Income Taxes from Continuing Operations) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Current:
U. S. federal provision (benefit)	$ 9,840	$ 1,188	$ (672)
State provision (benefit)	862	772	(522)
Total current provision (benefit)	10,702	1,960	(1,194)
Deferred:
U. S. federal provision	1,928	5,117	8,708
State provision (benefit)	1,107	178	1,731
Total deferred provision	3,035	5,295	10,439
Total income tax provision	$ 13,737	$ 7,255	$ 9,245

Income Taxes Income Taxes (Sche

Income Taxes Income Taxes (Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Federal statutory rate	$ 12,105	$ 7,719	$ 8,284
Federal statutory rate (as a percent)	35.00%	34.00%	34.00%
Effect of state income taxes, net of federal benefit	$ 1,618	$ 831	$ 1,462
Effect of state income taxes, net of federal benefit (as a percent)	4.70%	3.70%	6.00%
Effect of non-deductible expenses and other, net	$ 155	$ 583	$ (633)
Effectof non-deductible expenses and other, net (as a percent)	0.40%	2.60%	(2.60%)
Change in valuation allowance	$ (141)	$ (138)	$ 132
Change in valuation allowance (as a percent)	(0.40%)	(0.60%)	0.50%
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Other Adjustments, Amount	$ 0	$ (1,740)	$ 0
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Other Adjustments, Percent	0.00%	(7.70%)	0.00%
Total income tax provision	$ 13,737	$ 7,255	$ 9,245
Income tax expense (benefit) (as a percent)	39.70%	32.00%	37.90%

Income Taxes (Schedule of Unrec

Income Taxes (Schedule of Unrecognized Tax Benefits) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Interest accrued on unrecognized tax benefits	$ 44	$ 0
Reconciliation of Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Amounts Pertaining to Examined Tax Returns [Roll Forward]
Unrecognized tax benefit at beginning of year	515	7,832	$ 7,747
Reductions based on tax positions related to the prior year	0	0	(93)
Unrecognized tax benefit, reductions for tax year 2011 federal audit	0	(7,310)	0
Additions based on tax positions related to the current year	299	0	209
Reductions as a result of a lapse of the applicable statute of limitations	0	(7)	(31)
Unrecognized tax benefit at end of year	$ 814	$ 515	$ 7,832

Income Taxes (Schedule of Defer

Income Taxes (Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Deferred income tax assets:
Net operating loss carryforwards	$ 2,132	$ 2,735
Tax credit carryforwards	133	127
State bonus depreciation	993	1,513
Accrued liabilities and other	9,949	9,115
Amortization of non-compete agreements	897	815
Preneed liabilities, net	10,324	9,935
Total deferred income tax assets	24,428	24,240
Less valuation allowance	(189)	(330)
Total deferred income tax assets	24,239	23,910
Deferred income tax liabilities:
Amortization and depreciation	(48,318)	(43,441)
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Convertible Subordinated Notes	(10,184)	(11,685)
Prepaids and other	(1,436)	(1,448)
Total deferred income tax liabilities	(59,938)	(56,574)
Deferred Tax Liabilities, Net	(35,699)	(32,664)
Current deferred tax asset	4,257	3,750
Non-current deferred tax liabilities	$ (39,956)	$ (36,414)

Income Taxes (Narrative) (Detai

Income Taxes (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Unrecognized tax benefits, decrease resulting from settlements with taxing authorities			$ 7,300
Increase in income tax benefit	$ (1,700)	$ (1,700)
Unrecognized tax benefits, increase resulting from settlements with taxing authorities		5,600
Unrecognized tax benefits, decrease to interest on income tax expense	600	600
Change in valuation allowance	100
Unrecognized tax benefits	814	$ 515		$ 7,832	$ 7,747
State
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Operating loss carryforwards	46,200
Federal
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Income tax deductions	$ 1,600

Stockholders' Equity Stockho102

Stockholders' Equity Stockholders' Equity (Narrative) (Details)	Sep. 28, 2015shares	May. 21, 2014directorshares	Jan. 03, 2014$ / shares	Mar. 05, 2012USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)$ / sharesshares	Mar. 31, 2015USD ($)$ / sharesshares	Dec. 31, 2014$ / sharesshares	Jun. 30, 2014$ / shares	Mar. 31, 2014$ / shares	Sep. 30, 2012d$ / shares	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)dividend$ / sharesshares	Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)$ / sharesshares	Dec. 31, 2013USD ($)$ / sharesshares
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Common stock, shares authorized (in shares) | shares					80,000,000		80,000,000				80,000,000	80,000,000
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share) | $ / shares					$ 0.01		$ 0.01				$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, shares issued (in shares) | shares					22,497,873		22,434,609				22,497,873	22,434,609
Common stock, shares outstanding (in shares) | shares					22,497,873		22,434,609				22,497,873	22,434,609
Treasury stock, shares (in shares) | shares					5,849,316		3,921,651				5,849,316	3,921,651
Stock options awarded (in shares) | shares											653,000	804,000	563,000
Grants, weighted average exercise price | $ / shares											$ 22.66	$ 20.20	$ 16.73
Shares purchased through Employee Stock Purchase Plan (in shares) | shares											44,074	55,877	76,272
Weighted average purchase price of ESPP shares purchased during the period (in dollars per share) | $ / shares											$ 17.17	$ 15.50	$ 11.89
Payments for buy back of common stock											$ 44,999,000	$ 0	$ 0
Directors fees approved under new Directors Compensation Policy, other committee members and chairs				$ 2,000
Directors fees approved under new Directors Compensation Policy				1,600
Number of quarterly dividend declarations | dividend											4
Dividends declared per share (in dollars per share) | $ / shares					$ 0.025		$ 0.025	$ 0.025	$ 0.025		$ 0.10	$ 0.10	$ 0.10
Dividends declared, common stock, amount											$ 1,800,000
Employee Stock Option
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock options awarded (in shares) | shares						628,000						803,700	562,500
Grants, weighted average exercise price | $ / shares						$ 22.58
Incremental award vesting percentage						33.33%
Award vesting period (in years)						3 years
Stock option, contracted term						7 years
Value of stock options granted						$ 3,700,000						$ 4,100,000	$ 2,300,000
Intrinsic value of outstanding stock options					$ 8,734,000						8,734,000
Intrinsic value of exercisable stock options					5,305,000						5,305,000
Total intrinsic value of options exercised											1,100,000	1,000,000	503,000
Total fair value of stock options vested											1,808,000	752,000	224,000
Share based compensation expense											2,431,000	1,594,000	797,000
Unrecognized share based compensation cost					3,500,000						$ 3,500,000
Unrecognized share based compensation, expected term (in years)											2 years
Employee Stock Option | Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Contractual term of all options granted											10 years
Employee Stock Option | Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Contractual term of all options granted											5 years
Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share based compensation expense											$ 197,000	260,000	277,000
Purchase price percentage of grant date price per share (as a percent)											85.00%
Restricted Stock
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Share based compensation expense											$ 1,500,000	1,800,000	1,700,000
Unrecognized share based compensation cost					$ 5,200,000						$ 5,200,000
Unrecognized share based compensation, expected term (in years)											2 years 1 month 6 days
Restricted Stock | Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Award vesting period (in years)											4 years
Vesting percentage per period											33.33%
Restricted Stock | Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Award vesting period (in years)											3 years
Vesting percentage per period											25.00%
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Award vesting period (in years)						3 years
Awards granted | shares						37,900					42,737
Awards granted, aggregate grant date market value						$ 900,000
Performance Shares
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Performance-based stock awards, purchase price, variable option, basis spread over common stock market price (in dollars per share) | $ / shares										$ 0.50
Performance-based stock awards, purchase price, fixed option (in dollars per share) | $ / shares										9
Performance-based stock awards, vesting requirement, common stock market price (in dollars per share) | $ / shares										$ 21.50
Performance-based stock awards, vesting requirement, common stock market price, days achieved | d										3
Performance-based stock awards, vesting requirement, period to achieve common stock market price										30 days
Performance-based stock awards, surrender of awards, base repurchase price (in dollars per share) | $ / shares			$ 19
Payments for buy back of common stock											$ 16,200,000
New Employee | Employee Stock Option
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock options awarded (in shares) | shares						25,000
Grants, weighted average exercise price | $ / shares						$ 24.74
Board of Directors
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares of common stock issued (in shares) | shares	4,837	8,859
Number of directors | director		3
Directors compensation expense											700,000	$ 800,000	$ 800,000
Board of Directors | Performance Shares
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Payments for buy back of common stock											$ 3,200,000
Audit Committee Chairman
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Director compensation, annual cash retainer				17,500
Compensation And Corporate Governance Committee Chairman
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Director compensation, annual cash retainer				15,000
Board of Directors Chairman
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Director compensation, annual cash retainer				115,000
Director
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Director compensation, annual cash retainer				40,000
Director compensation, annual equity retainer				$ 75,000

Stockholders' Equity Stockho103

Stockholders' Equity Stockholders' Equity (Status of stock based compensation plans) (Details) - shares shares in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2011
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Options Outstanding (in shares)	1,695	1,381	766	312
2006 Amended and Restated Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares Reserved (in shares)	5,000
Shares Available to Issue (in shares)	1,157
Options Outstanding (in shares)	1,695

Stockholders' Equity Stockho104

Stockholders' Equity Stockholders' Equity (Assumptions using the Black-Scholes option pricing model) (Details) - Employee Stock Option	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Expected dividend yield	0.40%	0.50%	0.60%
Expected volatility	32.62%	33.34%	33.63%
Risk-free interest rate	1.13%	0.99%	0.41%
Expected life (years)	3 years 7 months 6 days	3 years 8 months 12 days	3 years 7 months 6 days

Stockholders' Equity Stockho105

Stockholders' Equity Stockholders' Equity (Summary of Options) (Details) - $ / shares shares in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding [Roll Forward]
Outstanding at beginning of period (in shares)	1,381	766
Granted (in shares)	653	804	563
Exercised (in shares)	(110)	(68)	(45)
Canceled or expired (in shares)	(229)	(121)	(64)
Outstanding at end of year (in shares)	1,695	1,381	766
Exercisable at end of year (in shares)	583	329	192
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Options, Outstanding, Weighted Average Exercise Price [Roll Forward]
Outstanding at beginning of period	$ 17.07	$ 13.03	$ 5.41
Granted	22.66	20.20	16.73
Exercised	14.36	5.47	5.33
Canceled or expired	20.39	18.80	13.82
Outstanding at end of year	18.95	17.07	13.03
Exercisable at end of year	$ 15	$ 10.97	$ 5.36

Stockholders' Equity Stockho106

Stockholders' Equity Stockholders' Equity (Outstanding stock options) (Details) shares in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015$ / sharesshares
Range Of Exercise Prices, $4.78-5.94
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Exercise price range, lower range limit	$ 4.78
Exercise price range, upper range limit	$ 5.94
Number of outstanding options at end of year | shares	149,021
Weighted-average remaining contractual life, options outstanding	5 years 3 months 22 days
Weighted average exercise price, options outstanding	$ 5.55
Number of exercisable options at end of year | shares	149,021
Weighted average exercise price, options exercisable	$ 5.55
Range Of Exercise Prices, $16.73-17.21
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Exercise price range, lower range limit	16.73
Exercise price range, upper range limit	$ 17.21
Number of outstanding options at end of year | shares	396,500
Weighted-average remaining contractual life, options outstanding	7 years 1 month 28 days
Weighted average exercise price, options outstanding	$ 16.73
Number of exercisable options at end of year | shares	254,498
Weighted average exercise price, options exercisable	$ 16.73
Range of Exercise Prices, $18.86-20.49
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Exercise price range, lower range limit	18.86
Exercise price range, upper range limit	$ 20.49
Number of outstanding options at end of year | shares	1,149,868
Weighted-average remaining contractual life, options outstanding	4 years 7 months 13 days
Weighted average exercise price, options outstanding	$ 21.45
Number of exercisable options at end of year | shares	179,400
Weighted average exercise price, options exercisable	$ 20.39
Range of Exercise Prices, $4.78-20.49
Share-based Compensation, Shares Authorized under Stock Option Plans, Exercise Price Range [Line Items]
Exercise price range, lower range limit	4.78
Exercise price range, upper range limit	$ 20.49
Number of outstanding options at end of year | shares	1,695,389
Weighted-average remaining contractual life, options outstanding	5 years 3 months 7 days
Weighted average exercise price, options outstanding	$ 18.95
Number of exercisable options at end of year | shares	582,919
Weighted average exercise price, options exercisable	$ 15

Stockholders' Equity Stockho107

Stockholders' Equity Stockholders' Equity (Four quarterly assumptions for fair value of the right (option) to purchase shares under ESPP) (Details) - Employee Stock Purchase Plan

3 Months Ended

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2014

Jun. 30, 2014

Mar. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Jun. 30, 2013

Mar. 31, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Sep. 30, 2012

Jun. 30, 2012

Mar. 31, 2012

Dec. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2014

Dec. 31, 2013

Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]

Dividend yield

0.40%

0.60%

0.60%

Expected volatility

24.00%

33.00%

41.00%

Risk-free interest rate

0.11%

0.13%

0.09%

0.07%

0.15%

0.135%

0.12%

0.08%

0.12%

0.09%

0.06%

0.02%

Expected life (years)

9 months

1 year

6 months

3 months

1 year

9 months

6 months

3 months

1 year

9 months

6 months

3 months

Stockholders' Equity Stockho108

Stockholders' Equity Stockholders' Equity (Summary of unvested restricted stock awards) (Details) - Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) - $ / shares	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Number of Shares [Roll Forward]
Unvested at beginning of year (in shares)	330,000	330,000
Awards (in shares)	37,900	42,737
Vestings (in shares)		(159,000)
Cancellations (in shares)		(11,000)
Unvested at end of year (in shares)		202,000
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award, Equity Instruments Other than Options, Nonvested, Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value [Roll Forward]
Unvested at beginning of year	$ 16.20	$ 16.20
Awards		22.40
Vestings		10.64
Cancellations		18.36
Unvested at beginning of year		$ 20.64

Stockholders' Equity (Accumulat

Stockholders' Equity (Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income) (Details) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)
Equity [Abstract]
Balance at December 31, 2014	$ 0
Increase in net unrealized gains associated with available-for-sale securities of the trusts	(22,573)
Reclassification of net unrealized gain activity attributable to the Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust and Care trusts’ corpus’	22,573
Balance at December 31, 2015	$ 0

Share Repurchase Program (Narra

Share Repurchase Program (Narrative) (Details) - USD ($)	Sep. 28, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015	May. 19, 2015
Class of Stock Disclosures [Abstract]
Stock repurchase program total authorized amount	$ 45,000,000		$ 25,000,000
Stock repurchase program, increase to authorized amount	$ 20,000,000
Number of shares of common stock repurchased by the company (in shares)		1,927,665
Aggregate cost of common stock repurchased by the company		$ 45,000,000
Average price of treasury stock acquired (in dollars per share)		$ 23.34

Earnings Per Share Earnings 111

Earnings Per Share Earnings Per Share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Attributable to Parent	$ 5,434,000	$ 5,367,000	$ 4,444,000	$ 4,557,000	$ 6,418,000	$ 4,565,000	$ 3,883,000	$ 1,631,000	$ 20,853,000	$ 15,446,000	$ 15,120,000
Earnings Allocated to Unvested Restricted Stock									(257,000)	(295,000)	(314,000)
Income from Continuing Operations Less Earnings Allocated to Unvested Restricted Stock									20,596,000	15,151,000	14,806,000
Income from discontinued operations									0	392,000	4,176,000
Income attributable to discontinued operations									0	(8,000)	(85,000)
Income From Discontinued Operations Less Earnings Allocated to Unvested Restricted Stock									$ 0	$ 384,000	$ 4,091,000
Discontinued operations									$ 0	$ 0	$ 3,454,000
Adjustment for diluted earnings per share:									$ 0	$ 0	$ 3,454,000
Income Attributable to Continuing Operations Diluted									20,596,000	15,151,000	18,260,000
Income Attributable to Discontinuing Operations Diluted									$ 0	$ 384,000	$ 4,091,000
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Basic									17,791	18,108	17,826
Dilutive Securities, Effect on Basic Earnings Per Share, Options and Restrictive Stock Units									$ 246,000	$ 149,000	$ 175,000
Effect of Dilutive Securities, Convertible Junior Subordinating Debentures									0	0	4,392
Weighted average number of common and common equivalent shares outstanding for diluted EPS computation									18,313	18,257	22,393
Basic earnings per common share:
Basic earnings per share from continuing operations (in dollars per share)									$ 1.16	$ 0.84	$ 0.83
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)									0	0.02	0.23
Basic earnings per common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.32	$ 0.29	$ 0.25	$ 0.25	$ 0.35	$ 0.27	$ 0.18	$ 0.12	1.16	0.86	1.06
Diluted earnings per common share:
Diluted earnings per share from continuing operations (in dollars per share)									1.12	0.83	0.82
Discontinued operations (in dollars per share)									0	0.02	0.18
Diluted earnings per common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.31	$ 0.29	$ 0.24	$ 0.24	$ 0.34	$ 0.26	$ 0.17	$ 0.12	$ 1.12	$ 0.85	$ 1

Earnings Per Share Earnings 112

Earnings Per Share Earnings Per Share (Narrative) (Details) - shares	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Incremental common shares attributable to dilutive effect of conversion of debt securities		0	4,400,000
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	0	0	500,000

Major Segments of Business (Rev

Major Segments of Business (Revenue, pre-tax income and total assets by segments) (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2012USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2012USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2012USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2011USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2011USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2011USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015USD ($)locations	Dec. 31, 2014USD ($)locations	Dec. 31, 2013USD ($)locations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 61,610	$ 59,419	$ 58,378	$ 59,261	$ 63,253	$ 54,549	$ 56,504	$ 55,652	$ 242,502	$ 226,124	$ 213,074
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes									34,590	22,701	24,365
Total assets	746,599								837,353	827,528	746,599
Long-lived assets	461,728								565,655	528,037	461,728
Depreciation and amortization									13,780	11,923	11,635
Payments to Acquire Productive Assets									$ 35,824	$ 23,675	$ 10,695
Number of operating locations at year end | locations									199	196	193
Interest expense									$ 10,559	$ 10,308	$ 12,622
Income tax expense (benefit) from continuing operations									13,737	7,255	9,245
Funeral
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									185,818	173,735	163,082
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes									58,404	53,385	48,206
Total assets	502,525								591,389	568,842	502,525
Long-lived assets	373,173								472,419	437,735	373,173
Depreciation and amortization									7,614	6,841	6,440
Payments to Acquire Productive Assets									$ 27,654	$ 16,804	$ 6,436
Number of operating locations at year end | locations									167	164	161
Interest expense									$ 577	$ 316	$ 323
Income tax expense (benefit) from continuing operations									23,195	17,061	18,270
Cemetery
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									56,684	52,389	49,992
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes									17,492	15,180	14,679
Total assets	227,520								229,479	240,009	227,520
Long-lived assets	85,901								89,866	88,467	85,901
Depreciation and amortization									4,420	3,704	3,739
Payments to Acquire Productive Assets									$ 5,332	$ 5,606	$ 2,936
Number of operating locations at year end | locations									32	32	32
Interest expense									$ 8	$ 17	$ 36
Income tax expense (benefit) from continuing operations									6,947	4,851	5,563
Corporate
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									0	0	0
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes									(41,306)	(45,864)	(38,520)
Total assets	16,554								16,485	18,677	16,554
Long-lived assets	$ 2,654								3,370	1,835	2,654
Depreciation and amortization									1,746	1,378	1,456
Payments to Acquire Productive Assets									$ 2,838	$ 1,265	$ 1,323
Number of operating locations at year end | locations									0	0	0
Interest expense									$ 9,974	$ 9,975	$ 12,263
Income tax expense (benefit) from continuing operations									$ (16,405)	$ (14,657)	$ (14,588)

Supplementary Information Suppl

Supplementary Information Supplementary Information (Balance Sheet Disclosures) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Other Current Assets:
Deferred taxes	$ 4,256	$ 3,750
Income tax receivables	279	3,293
Other current assets	172	101
Total other current assets	4,707	7,144
Accrued Liabilities:
Accrued salaries and wages	2,383	2,073
Accrued incentive compensation	5,862	5,660
Accrued vacation	2,239	1,978
Accrued insurance	2,246	2,171
Accrued interest	1,295	1,232
Accrued ad valorem and franchise taxes	604	537
Accrued commissions	470	654
Other accrued liabilities	1,442	898
Total accrued liabilities	$ 16,541	$ 15,203

Supplementary Information (Supp

Supplementary Information (Supplemental Disclosure for the Consolidated Statements of Operations) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues	$ 61,610	$ 59,419	$ 58,378	$ 59,261	$ 63,253	$ 54,549	$ 56,504	$ 55,652	$ 242,502	$ 226,124	$ 213,074
Cost of Revenue									164,994	156,116	148,789
Funeral
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									185,818	173,735	163,082
Cost of Revenue									109,166	104,913	99,657
Cemetery
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									56,684	52,389	49,992
Cost of Revenue									31,797	30,852	28,940
Funeral And Cemetery
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Cost of Revenue									140,963	135,765	128,597
Goods Revenue
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									106,878	99,177	94,801
Cost of Revenue									81,419	78,221	74,584
Goods Revenue | Funeral
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									71,399	66,877	64,409
Cost of Revenue									56,819	54,421	52,362
Goods Revenue | Cemetery
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									35,479	32,300	30,392
Cost of Revenue									24,600	23,800	22,222
Service Revenue
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									116,147	107,931	99,529
Cost of Revenue									58,160	56,217	52,573
Service Revenue | Funeral
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									104,969	97,375	89,442
Cost of Revenue									51,236	49,357	46,030
Service Revenue | Cemetery
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									11,178	10,556	10,087
Cost of Revenue									6,924	6,860	6,543
Financial Revenue
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									19,477	19,016	18,744
Cost of Revenue									1,384	1,327	1,440
Financial Revenue | Trust
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Cost of Revenue									353	249	227
Financial Revenue | Funeral | Preneed Commission
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									1,484	2,036	1,853
Cost of Revenue									1,031	1,078	1,213
Financial Revenue | Funeral | Preneed Trust
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									7,966	7,447	7,378
Financial Revenue | Cemetery | Trust
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									8,440	8,123	8,095
Financial Revenue | Cemetery | Finance Charges
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total revenues									$ 1,587	$ 1,410	$ 1,418

Quarterly Financial Data (Un116

Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) Quarterly Financial Data (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2012	Mar. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Quarterly Financial Information Disclosure [Abstract]
Revenues	$ 61,610	$ 59,419	$ 58,378	$ 59,261	$ 63,253	$ 54,549	$ 56,504	$ 55,652	$ 242,502	$ 226,124	$ 213,074
Gross profit	19,691	18,927	17,360	18,248	22,209	15,077	17,989	18,015	77,508	70,008	64,285
Net income from continuing operations	5,434	5,367	4,444	4,557	6,418	4,565	3,883	1,631	20,853	15,446	15,120
Income from discontinued operations, net of tax		11				431	(637)	587	0	392	4,176
Preferred stock dividend									0	0	(4)
Net income	$ 5,434	$ 5,378	$ 4,444	$ 4,557	$ 6,418	$ 4,996	$ 3,246	$ 2,218	$ 20,853	$ 15,838	$ 19,292
Basic earnings per common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.32	$ 0.29	$ 0.25	$ 0.25	$ 0.35	$ 0.27	$ 0.18	$ 0.12	$ 1.16	$ 0.86	$ 1.06
Diluted earnings per common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.31	$ 0.29	$ 0.24	$ 0.24	$ 0.34	$ 0.26	$ 0.17	$ 0.12	$ 1.12	$ 0.85	$ 1

Supplemental Disclosure of C117

Supplemental Disclosure of Cash Flow Information (Supplemental disclosure for the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Business Segment [Line Items]
Cash paid for interest and financing costs	$ 9,159	$ 8,894	$ 12,248
Cash paid for taxes	8,283	2,674	655
Fair value of stock, stock options and performance awards issued to directors, officers, and certain other employees	4,879	8,219	3,822
Restricted common stock withheld for payroll taxes	1,580	1,305	1,610
Preneed Funeral Trust
Business Segment [Line Items]
Net deposits or withdrawals into or from preneed trust accounts	12,054	(418)	(3,891)
Net (deposits) withdrawals of receivables into / from preneed trusts	(735)	(1,643)	709
Net deposits or withdrawals into or from preneed trust accounts, increasing or decreasing deferred preneed receipts	(12,054)	418	3,891
Preneed Cemetery Trust
Business Segment [Line Items]
Net deposits or withdrawals into or from preneed trust accounts	8,681	1	(1,324)
Net deposits or withdrawals into or from preneed trust accounts, increasing or decreasing deferred preneed receipts	(8,681)	(1)	1,324
Perpetual Care Trust
Business Segment [Line Items]
Net deposits or withdrawals into or from preneed trust accounts	5,543	1,857	3,091
Net withdrawals from perpetual care trust accounts decreasing care trusts’ corpus	(5,726)	(1,901)	(2,949)
Preneed Funeral Receivables
Business Segment [Line Items]
Net increase or decrease in preneed receivables	(1,714)	(1,731)	(1,331)
Net change in preneed receivables increasing or decreasing deferred revenue	483	677	860
Preneed Cemetery Receivables
Business Segment [Line Items]
Net change in preneed receivables increasing or decreasing deferred revenue	$ (154)	$ (374)	$ 327

Subsequent Events Subsequent118

Subsequent Events Subsequent Events (Details) - USD ($)

Feb. 09, 2016

Dec. 31, 2020

Sep. 30, 2020

Jun. 30, 2020

Mar. 31, 2020

Dec. 31, 2019

Sep. 30, 2019

Jun. 30, 2019

Mar. 31, 2019

Dec. 31, 2018

Sep. 30, 2018

Jun. 30, 2018

Mar. 31, 2018

Dec. 31, 2017

Sep. 30, 2017

Jun. 30, 2017

Mar. 31, 2017

Dec. 31, 2016

Sep. 30, 2016

Jun. 30, 2016

Mar. 31, 2016

Dec. 31, 2015

Dec. 31, 2014

Mar. 19, 2014

Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]

Principal amount

$ 208,466,000

Line of credit facility, current borrowing capacity

325,000,000

Revolving Credit Facility

Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]

Line of credit facility, potential increase to borrowing capacity

50,000,000

Line of credit facility, current borrowing capacity

200,000,000

Credit Facility, Term Note

Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]

Line of credit facility, current borrowing capacity

125,000,000

Convertible subordinated notes

Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]

Principal amount

$ 143,750,000

$ 143,750,000

$ 143,750,000

Subsequent Event | Revolving Credit Facility

Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]

Line of credit facility, potential increase to borrowing capacity

$ 75,000,000

Line of credit facility, current borrowing capacity

150,000,000

Subsequent Event | Credit Facility, Term Note

Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]

Line of credit facility, current borrowing capacity

$ 150,000,000

Subsequent Event | Line of Credit

Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]

Reduction of LIBOR based variable interest rate

37.50%

Days prior to the maturity of any subordinated debt the Credit Agreement matures

91 days

Scenario, Forecast | Subsequent Event | Credit Facility, Term Note

Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]

Repayments of Credit Agreement

$ 4,690,000

$ 4,690,000

$ 4,690,000

$ 3,750,000

$ 3,750,000

$ 3,750,000

$ 3,750,000

$ 3,750,000

$ 3,750,000

$ 3,750,000

$ 3,750,000

$ 3,750,000

$ 2,810,000

$ 2,810,000

$ 2,810,000

$ 2,810,000

$ 2,810,000

$ 2,810,000

$ 2,810,000

$ 2,810,000

Valuation and Qualifying Acc119

Valuation and Qualifying Accounts Valuation and Qualifying Accounts (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Allowance for bad debts, current portion
Movement in Valuation Allowances and Reserves [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of year	$ 1,127	$ 847	$ 1,177
Charged to costs and expenses	966	1,705	1,225
Deduction	1,039	1,425	1,555
Balance at end of year	1,054	1,127	847
Allowance for preneed bad debts, contract cancellations and receivables from preneed trusts, non-current portion
Movement in Valuation Allowances and Reserves [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of year	2,339	1,825	2,059
Charged to costs and expenses	712	1,284	768
Deduction	1,009	770	1,002
Balance at end of year	2,042	2,339	1,825
Employee severance accruals
Movement in Valuation Allowances and Reserves [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of year	216	249	158
Charged to costs and expenses	698	681	755
Deduction	634	714	664
Balance at end of year	280	216	249
Litigation reserves
Movement in Valuation Allowances and Reserves [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of year	3	17	108
Charged to costs and expenses	0	0	0
Deduction	3	14	91
Balance at end of year	0	3	17
Valuation allowance of the deferred tax asset
Movement in Valuation Allowances and Reserves [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of year	330	468	317
Charged to costs and expenses	0	0	227
Deduction	141	138	76
Balance at end of year	$ 189	$ 330	$ 468