Preneed Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
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	$ 738,263	$ 1,396,640
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(29,134)	(56,889)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	599,604	883,668
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(45,961)	(121,759)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,337,867	2,280,308
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(75,095)	(178,648)
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	351,327	496,227
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(2,095)	(12,464)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	248,374	93,687
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(16,851)	(14,987)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	599,701	589,914
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(18,946)	(27,451)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	386,936	900,413
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(27,039)	(44,425)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	351,230	789,981
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(29,110)	(106,772)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	738,166	1,690,394
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(56,149)	(151,197)
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	5,372	41,409
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(12)	(838)
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	5,372	41,409
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(12)	(838)
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	24,819	2,913
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(596)	(31)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	3,536	3,344
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(308)	(191)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	28,355	6,257
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(904)	(222)
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	3,695	2,107
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(49)	(22)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	3,676	6,162
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(90)	(205)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	7,371	8,269
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(139)	(227)
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	202	303
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(1)	(1)
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	202	303
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(1)	(1)
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	0	28
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	0	(22)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	23	156
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(7)	(9)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	23	184
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(7)	(31)
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	2,936	971
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(123)	(53)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	259	515
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(36)	(103)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,195	1,486
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(159)	(156)
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	232,604	271,433
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(22,023)	(23,168)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	23,507	50,923
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(680)	(12,374)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	256,111	322,356
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(22,703)	(35,542)
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	4,345	3,318
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(510)	(383)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	3,022	1,078
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(432)	(72)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	7,367	4,396
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(942)	(455)
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	7,911	19,274
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(494)	(4,139)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	5,700	24,525
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(643)	(6,493)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	13,611	43,799
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(1,137)	(10,632)
Equity Funds
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	25,057	234,714
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(2,402)	(9,825)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	17,439	276,504
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(3,902)	(47,032)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	42,496	511,218
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(6,304)	(56,857)
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	79,805	323,917
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(827)	(5,941)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	292,789	425,614
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(22,967)	(40,278)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	372,594	749,531
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(23,794)	(46,219)
Other Investments
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	190	26
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(2)	(2)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,279	1,160
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(45)	(15)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,469	1,186
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(47)	(17)
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	347,260	473,550
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(1,496)	(11,714)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	176,493	20,587
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(4,599)	(520)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	523,753	494,137
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss		(12,234)
Fixed Income Commingled funds [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(6,095)
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	4,067	22,677
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(599)	(750)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	71,881	73,100
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(12,252)	(14,467)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	75,948	95,777
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss		$ (15,217)
Private Equity Funds
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	$ (12,851)