Equity Components of Accumulated Other Comrehensive income (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($) $ / shares shares
Treasury Stock, Shares, Acquired | shares	4,793,635
Treasury Stock, Value, Acquired, Par Value Method	$ 148,800
Treasury Stock Acquired, Average Cost Per Share | $ / shares	$ 31.04
Accumulated other comprehensive income [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	$ 16,492
Activity	329,637
Change in net unrealized gains associated with available-for-sale securities of the trusts, net of taxes	142,958
Reclassification of net unrealized gain activity attributable to the Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust and Care trusts’ corpus’, net of taxes	(142,958)
Balance at end of period	46,661
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
Accumulated other comprehensive income [Roll Forward]
Activity	30,169
Foreign Currency Gain (Loss)
Accumulated other comprehensive income [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	16,492
Activity	30,169
Balance at end of period	46,661
Accumulated Net Unrealized Investment Gain (Loss)
Accumulated other comprehensive income [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period	0
Change in net unrealized gains associated with available-for-sale securities of the trusts, net of taxes	142,958
Reclassification of net unrealized gain activity attributable to the Deferred preneed funeral and cemetery receipts held in trust and Care trusts’ corpus’, net of taxes	(142,958)
Balance at end of period	$ 0