Preneed Funeral Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) (Funeral, USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	$ 310,616	$ 534,435
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(24,427)	(26,801)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	60,629	73,436
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(8,680)	(13,638)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	371,245	607,871
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	33,107	40,439
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	10,060	32,243
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(57)	(412)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	4,790	4,978
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(42)	(43)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	14,850	37,221
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	99	455
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	229	2,894
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1)	(52)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	12,890	14,904
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(355)	(822)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	13,119	17,798
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	356	874
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	4,491	4,988
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(37)	(56)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,629	2,420
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(84)	(70)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	7,120	7,408
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	121	126
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	267	217
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(2)	(10)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	241	106
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(13)	(2)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	508	323
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	15	12
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	78	26
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(62)	(113)
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	78	26
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	62	113
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	137,804	126,527
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(10,822)	(7,403)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	367	438
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0	(2)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	138,171	126,965
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	10,822	7,405
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	2,558	1,752
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(501)	(379)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	860	1,085
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(237)	(516)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,418	2,837
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	738	895
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	14,324	19,593
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(2,436)	(1,557)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2	2
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0	(3)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	14,326	19,595
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	2,436	1,560
Equity Funds
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	104,675	233,827
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(6,175)	(13,219)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	11,172	23,717
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(1,134)	(2,682)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	115,847	257,544
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	7,309	15,901
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	36,130	112,160
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(4,334)	(3,128)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	10,995	11,452
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(325)	(448)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	47,125	123,612
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	4,659	3,576
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	203
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	0	(461)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	15,380	13,870
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(6,168)	(8,957)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	15,380	14,073
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	6,168	9,418
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	5
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	0	11
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,303	464
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(322)	(93)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,303	469
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	$ 322	$ 104