Preneed Cemetery Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) (Cemetery, USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	$ 139,207	$ 269,357
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(7,323)	15,577
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	215,681	122,667
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(34,999)	39,249
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	354,888	392,024
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(42,322)	(54,826)
US Treasury Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	10,545	45,120
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(297)	(6,040)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	56,621	25,043
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(5,024)	(2,836)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	67,166	70,163
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	5,321	(8,876)
Foreign Government Debt Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	9,798	9,424
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(59)	(120)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,688	3,066
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(71)	(141)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	12,486	12,490
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	130	(261)
Corporate Debt Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	10,069	15,050
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(316)	(424)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	3,532	3,073
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(180)	(222)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	13,601	18,123
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	496	(646)
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	16	145
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	0	(2)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	46	2
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(2)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	62	147
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(2)	(2)
Asset-backed Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value		3,257
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses		(13)
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		3,257
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses		(13)
Preferred Stock Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	1,469	5,604
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(31)	(123)
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	1,469	5,604
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	31	(123)
US Common Stock Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	69,634	46,317
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(5,750)	(2,648)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	4,315	3,489
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(264)	(583)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	73,949	49,806
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	6,014	(3,231)
Canada Common Stock Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	940	1,569
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(79)	(502)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,146	1,935
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(577)	(433)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,086	3,504
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	656	(935)
Other International Common Stock Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	5,763	4,344
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(493)	(124)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	765	702
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(35)	(76)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	6,528	5,046
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	528	(200)
Equity Funds
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	15,779	3,858
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(109)	(54)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	14,532	14,477
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(913)	(1,650)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	30,311	18,335
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	1,022	(1,704)
Fixed Income Funds
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	15,194	134,669
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(189)	(5,527)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	125,779	64,009
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(24,023)	(28,122)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	140,973	198,678
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	24,212	(33,649)
Private Equity Funds
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	5,257	6,589
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(3,910)	(5,153)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	5,257	6,589
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	3,910	(5,153)
Other Investments
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		282
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		282
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses		$ 33