Preneed Funeral Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) - Funeral - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 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	$ 295,214	$ 548,240
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(39,940)	(48,832)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	172,794	167,817
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(33,638)	(41,727)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	468,008	716,057
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(73,578)	(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	294,453	479,662
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(39,342)	(48,390)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	155,793	149,104
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(28,584)	(35,260)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	450,246	628,766
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(67,926)	(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	761	68,578
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(598)	(442)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	17,001	18,713
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(5,054)	(6,467)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	17,762	87,291
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(5,652)	(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	1,879	37,008
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(55)	(1,273)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	7,077	4,687
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(82)	(58)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	8,956	41,695
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(137)	(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	3,141	2,336
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(99)	(17)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	13,203	11,535
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(472)	(638)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	16,344	13,871
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(571)	(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	2,291	4,644
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(23)	(156)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,412	4,025
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(48)	(128)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	4,703	8,669
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(71)	(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	52
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	5
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(1)
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	0	448
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	0	(60)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	171	42
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(88)	(98)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	171	490
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(88)	(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	104,059	128,725
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(17,424)	(16,448)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	18,077	14,531
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(3,005)	(2,701)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	122,136	143,256
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(20,429)	(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	1,526	1,956
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(199)	(355)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,419	1,097
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(379)	(722)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	2,945	3,053
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(578)	(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	8,579	9,458
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(1,175)	(1,638)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	7,176	6,151
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(1,716)	(2,269)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	15,755	15,609
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(2,891)	(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	162,848	185,726
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(19,583)	(23,385)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	81,872	79,855
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(18,351)	(20,590)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	244,720	265,581
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(37,934)	(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	8,714	108,984
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(726)	(5,052)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	24,381	27,048
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(4,442)	(8,040)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	33,095	136,032
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(5,168)	(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	761	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(598)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	17,001	18,713
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(5,054)	(6,467)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	17,762	18,713
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(5,652)	(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	1,364
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(58)
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	1,364
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	$ (58)
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)