Preneed Funeral Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) - Funeral - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 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	$ 694,767	$ 534,435
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	84,546	26,801
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	63,396	73,436
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	11,116	13,638
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	758,163	607,871
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	95,662	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	42,465	32,243
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	1,209	412
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	4,419	4,978
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	39	43
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	46,884	37,221
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	1,248	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	1,433	2,894
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	5	52
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	12,058	14,904
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	553	822
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	13,491	17,798
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	558	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	5,611	4,988
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	152	56
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,666	2,420
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	101	70
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	8,277	7,408
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	253	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	262	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	224	106
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	16	2
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	486	323
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	21	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	534	26
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	112	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	534	26
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	112	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	188,385	126,527
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	29,166	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	188,385	126,965
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	29,166	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	3,428	1,752
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	692	379
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	545	1,085
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	377	516
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,973	2,837
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	1,069	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	17,715	19,593
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	6,034	1,557
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	606	2
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	190	3
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	18,321	19,595
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	6,224	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	257,015	233,827
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	38,133	13,219
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	13,346	23,717
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	3,681	2,682
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	270,361	257,544
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	41,814	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	177,919	112,160
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	9,038	3,128
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	12,059	11,452
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	590	448
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	189,978	123,612
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	9,628	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	17,031	13,870
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	5,554	8,957
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	17,031	14,073
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	5,554	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	442	464
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	15	93
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	442	469
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	$ 15	$ 104