Preneed Funeral Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) - Funeral - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	$ 415,505	$ 548,240
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(50,250)	(48,832)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	150,363	167,817
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(35,892)	(41,727)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	565,868	716,057
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(86,142)	(90,559)
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	414,717	479,662
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(49,638)	(48,390)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	133,198	149,104
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(29,902)	(35,260)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	547,915	628,766
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(79,540)	(83,650)
Reported at net asset value
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	788	68,578
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(612)	(442)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	17,165	18,713
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(5,990)	(6,467)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	17,953	87,291
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(6,602)	(6,909)
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	4,421	37,008
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(169)	(1,273)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	4,550	4,687
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(85)	(58)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	8,971	41,695
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(254)	(1,331)
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	5,233	2,336
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(77)	(17)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	12,167	11,535
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(804)	(638)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	17,400	13,871
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(881)	(655)
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	2,714	4,644
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(108)	(156)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	3,369	4,025
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(154)	(128)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	6,083	8,669
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(262)	(284)
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		377
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss		(6)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value		133
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss		(16)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value		510
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss		(22)
Asset-backed Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	57
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	57
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(1)
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	94	448
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(25)	(60)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	48	42
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(91)	(98)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	142	490
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(116)	(158)
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	124,502	128,725
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(19,418)	(16,448)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	14,346	14,531
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(3,829)	(2,701)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	138,848	143,256
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(23,247)	(19,149)
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	4,918	1,956
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(866)	(355)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	670	1,097
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(280)	(722)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	5,588	3,053
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(1,146)	(1,077)
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	11,101	9,458
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(2,189)	(1,638)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	4,841	6,151
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(1,720)	(2,269)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	15,942	15,609
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(3,909)	(3,907)
Equity Funds
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	182,603	185,726
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(23,695)	(23,385)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	71,967	79,855
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(16,754)	(20,590)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	254,570	265,581
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(40,449)	(43,975)
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	77,990	108,984
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(2,994)	(5,052)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	21,240	27,048
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(6,185)	(8,040)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	99,230	136,032
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(9,179)	(13,092)
Private Equity Funds | Reported at net asset value
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	788	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(612)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	17,165	18,713
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(5,990)	(6,467)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	17,953	18,713
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(6,602)	(6,467)
Other Investments
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	1,084
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(96)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,084
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	$ (96)
Fixed Income Commingled funds [Member] | Reported at net asset value
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value		68,578
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss		(442)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value		0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss		0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value		68,578
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss		$ (442)