Preneed Cemetery Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) - Cemetery - 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	$ 776,206	$ 732,387
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(40,624)	(37,625)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	33,366	32,624
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(4,500)	(7,559)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	809,572	765,011
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(45,124)	(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	48,735	45,072
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(676)	(605)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	38	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(2)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	48,773	45,072
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(678)	(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	1,350	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(20)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	3,203	4,858
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(136)	(134)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	4,553	4,858
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(156)	(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	178	2,017
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(5)	(61)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	3,497	1,936
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(140)	(55)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,675	3,953
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(145)	(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	34	33
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(1)	(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	20	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(1)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	54	33
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(2)	(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	224,331	192,015
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(20,299)	(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, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	224,331	192,600
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(20,299)	(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	2,642	2,069
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(645)	(319)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	445	778
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(291)	(522)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,087	2,847
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(936)	(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	20,427	28,308
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(3,930)	(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, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	20,427	28,308
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(3,930)	(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	204,323	303,211
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(7,709)	(18,329)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	1,577
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	(101)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	204,323	304,788
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(7,709)	(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	274,186	159,572
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(7,339)	(4,106)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	15,093	15,113
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(599)	(596)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	289,279	174,685
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(7,938)	(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, Accumulated Loss	0	(100)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	10,398	7,518
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(3,191)	(6,083)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	10,398	7,606
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(3,191)	(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, Accumulated Loss	0	(3)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	672	259
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(140)	(68)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	672	261
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	$ (140)	$ (71)