Preneed Activities Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Document Period End Date	Jun. 30, 2018
Amortized Cost Basis	$ 3,452,355	$ 3,260,648
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	309,209	367,569
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(111,810)	(57,889)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	3,649,754	3,570,328
Reported at net asset value
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	1,183,976	1,122,537
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	81,137	64,692
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(18,392)	(8,009)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,246,721	1,179,220
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	4,636,331	4,383,185
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	390,346	432,261
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(130,202)	(65,898)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	4,896,475	4,749,548
Fixed Income Commingled funds [Member] | Reported at net asset value
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	417,179	454,242
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	23	235
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(16,390)	(5,860)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	400,812	448,617
Commingled funds - Equity [Member] | Reported at net asset value
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	225,264	214,000
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	15,694	12,826
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(238)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	240,720	226,826
Private Equity Funds | Reported at net asset value
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	210,305	166,860
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	65,420	51,631
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(1,764)	(2,149)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	273,961	216,342
Money Market Funds [Member] | Reported at net asset value
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	331,228	287,435
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	0	0
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	331,228	287,435
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | US Treasury Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	53,781	48,805
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	20	14
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(569)	(117)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	53,232	48,702
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Foreign Government Debt Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	59,109	81,500
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	46	160
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(1,531)	(1,089)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	57,624	80,571
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Corporate Debt Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	31,206	13,540
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	255	327
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(329)	(170)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	31,132	13,697
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	5,213	3,279
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	10	16
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(80)	(14)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	5,143	3,281
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Asset-backed Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	142	320
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	2	15
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(11)	(10)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	133	325
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Preferred Stock Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	11,519	7,834
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	620	385
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(163)	(139)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	11,976	8,080
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | US Common Stock Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	1,273,864	1,161,015
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	236,873	266,822
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(46,573)	(24,739)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,464,164	1,403,098
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | Canada Common Stock Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	31,679	30,762
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	10,887	12,545
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(973)	(522)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	41,593	42,785
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | Other International Common Stock Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	83,763	63,510
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	13,044	13,174
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(3,270)	(2,834)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	93,537	73,850
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | Equity Funds
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	709,776	613,934
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	40,605	59,100
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(12,764)	(4,312)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	737,617	668,722
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | Fixed Income Funds
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	1,175,308	1,230,196
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	3,647	11,897
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(45,546)	(23,943)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,133,409	1,218,150
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 | Other Investments
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	16,995	5,953
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	3,200	3,114
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(1)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	$ 20,194	$ 9,067