Preneed Funeral Activities Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities (Details) - Funeral [Member] - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 1,137,504	$ 1,156,570
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	71,520	43,383
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(56,272)	(90,559)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,152,752	1,109,394
Commingled Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	168,959	102,063
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	3,177	228
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(1,167)	(1,103)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	170,969	101,188
Private Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	40,892	38,724
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	2,956	3,780
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(5,190)	(6,467)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	38,658	36,037
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	927,653	1,015,783
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	65,387	39,375
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(49,915)	(82,989)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	943,125	972,169
Reported At Net Asset Value [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	209,851	140,787
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	6,133	4,008
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	6,357	7,570
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	209,627	137,225
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | US Treasury Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	75,245	64,140
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	317	89
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(557)	(1,270)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	75,005	62,959
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Foreign Government Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	55,752	56,975
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	272	323
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(42)	(55)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	55,982	57,243
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	12,702	18,983
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	177	235
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(92)	(284)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	12,787	18,934
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	29	1,299
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1	29
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	0	(22)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	30	1,306
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Asset-backed Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	58	5
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(3)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	55	5
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Preferred Stock securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	1,428	1,951
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	81	41
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(39)	(158)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,470	1,834
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | US Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	334,854	344,544
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	49,785	30,885
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(11,525)	(19,149)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	373,114	356,280
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Canada Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	11,853	11,882
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	2,592	2,651
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(263)	(1,077)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	14,182	13,456
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Other International Common Stock Securities [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	25,761	32,193
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,824	2,636
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(3,167)	(3,907)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	24,418	30,922
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	313,132	324,231
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	7,780	1,263
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(26,842)	(43,975)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	294,070	281,519
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Fixed Income Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	92,760	155,893
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,344	154
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(7,368)	(13,092)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	86,736	142,955
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Other Investments [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	4,079	3,687
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,214	1,069
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(17)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	$ 5,276	$ 4,756