Preneed Cemetery Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) - Cemetery - 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	$ 942,814	$ 732,387
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(119,007)	(37,625)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	28,316	32,624
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(4,965)	(7,559)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	971,130	765,011
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(123,972)	(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	55,492	45,072
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(1,257)	(605)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	13	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	55,505	45,072
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(1,258)	(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	1,242	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	879	4,858
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(66)	(134)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	2,121	4,858
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(86)	(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	204	2,017
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(8)	(61)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,441	1,936
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(104)	(55)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	2,645	3,953
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(112)	(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	27	33
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	0	(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	19	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	46	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	300,606	192,015
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(47,051)	(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	300,606	192,600
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(47,051)	(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	789	2,069
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(442)	(319)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,231	778
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(749)	(522)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	2,020	2,847
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(1,191)	(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	28,359	28,308
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(9,341)	(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	28,359	28,308
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(9,341)	(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	296,807	303,211
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(48,088)	(18,329)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,889	1,577
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(514)	(101)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	298,696	304,788
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(48,602)	(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	259,288	159,572
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(12,800)	(4,106)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	13,519	15,113
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(553)	(596)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	272,807	174,685
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(13,353)	(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	8,325	7,518
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(2,976)	(6,083)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	8,325	7,606
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	$ (2,976)	(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		2
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss		(3)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value		259
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss		(68)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value		261
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss		$ (71)