Preneed Funeral Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Funeral [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	$ 217,848	$ 290,705
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(11,605)	(12,519)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	121,626	114,048
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(28,023)	(30,144)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	339,474	404,753
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(39,628)	(42,663)
US Treasury Securities [Member] | Funeral [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	22,414	28,693
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(2,141)	(3,595)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	19,008	19,351
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(2,080)	(2,004)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	41,422	48,044
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(4,221)	(5,599)
Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member] | Funeral [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	4,831	9,546
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(44)	(120)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	16,869	18,981
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(1,022)	(993)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	21,700	28,527
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(1,066)	(1,113)
Corporate Debt Securities [Member] | Funeral [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	17,003	21,357
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(288)	(346)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,182	5,654
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(73)	(345)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	18,185	27,011
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(361)	(691)
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member] | Funeral [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	1,250	1,381
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(24)	(25)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	138	172
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(9)	(8)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,388	1,553
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(33)	(33)
Asset-backed Securities [Member] | Funeral [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value		3,275
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses		(10)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value		0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses		0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value		3,275
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses		(10)
Preferred Stock securities [Member] | Funeral [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	1,395	14,028
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(45)	(235)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,395	14,028
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(45)	(235)
US Common Stock Securities [Member] | Funeral [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	87,310	46,544
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(5,886)	(2,153)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,539	3,327
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(511)	(775)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	89,849	49,871
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(6,397)	(2,928)
Canada Common Stock Securities [Member] | Funeral [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	7,257	2,433
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(349)	(576)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,720	1,992
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(621)	(641)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	8,977	4,425
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(970)	(1,217)
Other International Common Stock Securities [Member] | Funeral [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	4,373	3,396
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(450)	(138)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	307	369
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(30)	(60)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	4,680	3,765
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(480)	(198)
Equity Funds [Member] | Funeral [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	19,712	16,206
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(400)	(337)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	12,319	12,456
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(1,732)	(1,966)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	32,031	28,662
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(2,132)	(2,303)
Fixed Income Funds [Member] | Funeral [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	52,303	143,846
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1,978)	(4,984)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	54,279	38,217
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(13,822)	(14,593)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	106,582	182,063
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(15,800)	(19,577)
Private Equity Funds [Member] | Funeral [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	13,265	13,002
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(8,123)	(8,726)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	13,265	13,002
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(8,123)	(8,726)
Other Investments [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	279
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(6)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	279
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(6)
Other Investments [Member] | Funeral [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value		0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses		0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value		527
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses		(33)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value		527
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses		$ (33)