Preneed Cemetery Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) (Cemetery, 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	$ 507,334	$ 732,387
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(35,045)	37,625
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	30,270	32,624
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(4,543)	7,559
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	537,604	765,011
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	39,588	45,184
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	12,955	45,072
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(53)	(605)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	14	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(1)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	12,969	45,072
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(54)	605
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	1,263	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(3)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	3,146	4,858
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(111)	(134)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	4,409	4,858
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(114)	134
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	175	2,017
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(3)	(61)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	3,381	1,936
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(73)	(55)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,556	3,953
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(76)	116
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	29	33
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	0	(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	21	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(1)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	50	33
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(1)	1
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	215,891	192,015
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(17,833)	(11,706)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	585
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	215,891	192,600
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	17,833	11,706
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	2,573	2,069
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(326)	(319)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	552	778
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(375)	(522)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,125	2,847
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(701)	841
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	21,396	28,308
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(3,746)	(2,395)
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	21,396	28,308
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	3,746	2,395
Equity Funds
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	213,762	303,211
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(7,126)	(18,329)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	69	1,577
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(7)	(101)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	213,831	304,788
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	7,133	18,430
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	39,290	159,572
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(5,955)	(4,106)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	15,036	15,113
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(494)	(596)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	54,326	174,685
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(6,449)	4,702
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	88
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	0	(100)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	7,397	7,518
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(3,185)	(6,083)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	7,397	7,606
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(3,185)	6,183
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	2
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	0	(3)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	654	259
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(296)	(68)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	654	261
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	$ (296)	$ (71)