Preneed Cemetery Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) - Cemetery - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	$ 281,790	$ 461,074
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(10,803)	(23,229)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	235,112	244,856
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(33,080)	(48,600)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	516,902	705,930
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(43,883)	(71,829)
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	4,542	15,413
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(6)	(281)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	4,542	15,413
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	6	(281)
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	1,416	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(10)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,184	1,192
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(74)	(66)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	2,600	1,192
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(84)	(66)
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	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	731	736
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(40)	(34)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	731	736
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(40)	(34)
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	132,638	149,530
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(8,635)	(13,680)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	11,759	23,010
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(3,272)	(8,000)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	144,397	172,540
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(11,907)	(21,680)
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	420	408
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(44)	(82)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	861	38
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(16)	(2)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,281	446
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(60)	(84)
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	5,703	9,707
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(524)	(2,330)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	7,754	11,442
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(2,026)	(2,899)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	13,457	21,149
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(2,550)	(5,229)
Equity Funds
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	12,921	125,728
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(846)	(4,728)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	150,724	146,332
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(12,233)	(24,875)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	163,645	272,060
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(13,079)	(29,603)
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	26,620	26,566
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(445)	(446)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	45,679	45,337
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(9,865)	(9,408)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	72,299	71,903
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(10,310)	(9,854)
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	184,260	327,352
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(10,510)	(21,547)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	218,692	228,087
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(27,526)	(45,284)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	402,952	555,439
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(38,036)	(66,831)
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	97,530	133,722
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(293)	(1,682)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	16,420	16,769
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(5,554)	(3,316)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	113,950	150,491
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(5,847)	(4,998)
Reported at net asset value | Private Equity Funds
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	0	558
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	0	(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	16,420	16,769
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(5,554)	(3,316)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	16,420	17,327
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(5,554)	(3,317)
Reported at net asset value | Fixed Income Commingled funds [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	97,530	133,164
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(293)	(1,681)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	97,530	133,164
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	$ (293)	$ (1,681)