Preneed Activities Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	$ 3,434,980
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	175,867
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(395,711)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	3,215,136
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis		$ 3,260,648
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains		367,569
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses		(57,889)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value		3,570,328
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | US Treasury Securities [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	49,187	48,805
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	153	14
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(448)	(117)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	48,892	48,702
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Debt Security, Government, Non-US [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	56,343	81,500
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	23	160
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(1,797)	(1,089)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	54,569	80,571
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Corporate Debt Securities [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	19,869	13,540
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	13	327
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(516)	(170)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	19,366	13,697
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	3,611	3,279
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	10	16
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(50)	(14)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	3,571	3,281
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Asset-backed Securities [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	142	320
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	2	15
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(11)	(10)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	133	325
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 [Member] | Preferred Stock securities [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	9,058	7,834
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	180	385
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(412)	(139)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	8,826	8,080
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | US Common Stock Securities [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	1,236,513	1,161,015
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	149,233	266,822
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(138,141)	(24,739)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,247,605	1,403,098
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Canada Common Stock Securities [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	34,821	30,762
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	9,082	12,545
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(3,026)	(522)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	40,877	42,785
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Other International Common Stock Securities [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	77,676	63,510
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	6,057	13,174
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(10,275)	(2,834)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	73,458	73,850
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Equity Funds [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	760,887	613,934
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	7,104	59,100
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(151,853)	(4,312)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	616,138	668,722
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 [Member] | Fixed Income Funds [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	1,180,325	1,230,196
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	800	11,897
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(89,179)	(23,943)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,091,946	1,218,150
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 [Member] | Other Investments [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	6,548	5,953
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	3,210	3,114
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(3)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	9,755	9,067
Reported Value Measurement [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	1,307,042
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	94,883
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(31,341)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,370,584
Reported Value Measurement [Member] | Commingled funds - Fixed inc [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	419,206	454,242
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	2,419	235
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(18,981)	(5,860)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	402,644	448,617
Reported Value Measurement [Member] | Commingled funds - Equity [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	205,789	214,000
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	19,567	12,826
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(11,723)	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	213,633	226,826
Reported Value Measurement [Member] | Money Market Funds [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	466,429	287,435
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	466,429	287,435
Reported Value Measurement [Member] | Private Equity Funds [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	215,618	166,860
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	72,897	51,631
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(637)	(2,149)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	287,878	216,342
Reported Value Measurement [Member] | Reported At Net Asset Value [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis		1,122,537
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains		64,692
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses		(8,009)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value		1,179,220
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Amortized Cost Basis	4,742,022	4,383,185
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Gains	270,750	432,261
Available-for-sale Securities, Gross Unrealized Losses	(427,052)	(65,898)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	$ 4,585,720	$ 4,749,548