Preneed Cemetery Activities Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities (Details) - Cemetery [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	$ 1,406,443	$ 1,397,324
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	100,469	60,286
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(71,829)	(113,694)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,435,083	1,343,916
Commingled Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	245,813	124,103
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	5,347	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(1,681)	(639)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	249,479	123,464
Private Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	37,881	35,411
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	4,616	5,954
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(3,317)	(4,502)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	39,180	36,863
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	1,122,749	1,237,810
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	90,506	54,332
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(66,831)	(108,553)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,146,424	1,183,589
Reported At Net Asset Value [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	283,694	159,514
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	9,963	5,954
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	4,998	(5,141)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	288,659	160,327
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	70,070	69,727
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	567	25
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(281)	(1,437)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	70,356	68,315
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	9,109	9,725
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	49	183
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(66)	(99)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	9,092	9,809
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	1,596	5,115
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	18	26
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(34)	(118)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,580	5,023
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		129
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains		3
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses		(3)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value		129
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	170	170
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	13	15
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	183	185
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	539,445	531,885
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	72,682	44,181
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(21,680)	(32,037)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	590,447	544,029
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	9,027	8,992
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	4,807	3,858
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(84)	(891)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	13,750	11,959
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	42,870	50,041
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	3,023	4,207
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(5,229)	(5,799)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	40,664	48,449
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Equity Funds [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	356,079	356,712
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	7,812	1,620
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(29,603)	(49,642)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	334,288	308,690
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	94,383	203,932
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	1,535	92
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(9,854)	(18,527)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	$ 86,064	185,497
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Other Investments [Member]
Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis		1,382
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains		122
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses		0
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value		$ 1,504