Preneed Funeral Activities Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities (Details) - Funeral - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	$ 1,145,678	$ 1,156,570
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	80,044	43,383
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(49,636)	(90,559)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,176,086	1,109,394
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	975,403	1,048,698
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	69,937	39,603
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(45,360)	(83,650)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	999,980	1,004,651
Reported at net asset value
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	170,275	107,872
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	10,107	3,780
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(4,276)	(6,909)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	176,106	104,743
Private Equity Funds | Reported at net asset value
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	35,881	38,724
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	3,041	3,780
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(4,276)	(6,467)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	34,646	36,037
Fixed Income Commingled funds [Member] | Reported at net asset value
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	134,394	69,148
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	7,066	0
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	0	(442)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	141,460	68,706
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | US Treasury Securities
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	78,289	82,417
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	1,108	107
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(102)	(1,331)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	79,295	81,193
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Foreign Government Debt Securities
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	77,016	72,488
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	487	532
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(363)	(655)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	77,140	72,365
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Corporate Debt Securities
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	13,603	19,036
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	263	235
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(54)	(284)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	13,812	18,987
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	29	1,297
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	1	29
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	0	(22)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	30	1,304
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Asset-backed Securities
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	58	5
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	0	0
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	58	5
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Preferred Stock Securities
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	1,436	1,949
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	116	41
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(109)	(158)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,443	1,832
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | US Common Stock Securities
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	339,717	344,116
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	47,031	30,885
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(13,043)	(19,149)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	373,705	355,852
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | Canada Common Stock Securities
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	12,028	11,930
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	3,460	2,652
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(633)	(1,077)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	14,855	13,505
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | Other International Common Stock Securities
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	27,457	32,156
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	2,688	2,636
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(2,608)	(3,907)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	27,537	30,885
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | Equity Funds
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	321,562	323,884
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	11,257	1,263
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(21,066)	(43,975)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	311,753	281,172
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | Fixed Income Funds
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	99,951	155,717
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	2,292	154
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(7,372)	(13,092)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	94,871	142,779
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 | Other Investments
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	4,257	3,703
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	1,234	1,069
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(10)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	$ 5,481	$ 4,772