Preneed Funeral Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) - Funeral - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 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	$ 563,470	$ 534,435
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	29,090	26,801
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	55,722	73,436
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	8,026	13,638
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	619,192	607,871
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	37,116	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	33,733	32,243
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	501	412
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	4,846	4,978
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	56	43
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	38,579	37,221
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	557	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	242	2,894
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	4	52
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	13,526	14,904
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	534	822
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	13,768	17,798
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	538	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	5,587	4,988
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	78	56
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,861	2,420
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	107	70
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	8,448	7,408
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	185	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	335	217
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	5	10
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	232	106
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	15	2
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	567	323
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	20	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	176	26
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	81	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, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	176	26
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	81	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	140,010	126,527
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	12,507	7,403
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	438
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	2
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	140,010	126,965
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	12,507	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	3,196	1,752
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	679	379
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	881	1,085
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	344	516
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	4,077	2,837
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	1,023	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	14,091	19,593
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	2,736	1,557
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	2
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	3
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	14,091	19,595
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	2,736	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	170,796	233,827
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	7,149	13,219
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	3,836	23,717
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	370	2,682
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	174,632	257,544
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	7,519	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	195,304	112,160
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	5,350	3,128
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	9,945	11,452
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	526	448
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	205,249	123,612
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	5,876	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, Accumulated Loss	0	461
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	18,452	13,870
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	5,929	8,957
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	18,452	14,073
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	5,929	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, Accumulated Loss	0	11
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,143	464
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	145	93
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,143	469
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	$ 145	$ 104