Preneed Activities Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	$ 3,529,644	$ 3,434,980
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	288,874	175,867
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(206,201)	(395,711)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	3,612,317	3,215,136
Reported at net asset value
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	1,198,306	1,307,042
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	108,376	94,883
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(9,864)	(31,341)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,296,818	1,370,584
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	4,727,950	4,742,022
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	397,250	270,750
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(216,065)	(427,052)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	4,909,135	4,585,720
Fixed Income Commingled funds [Member] | Reported at net asset value
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	419,253	419,206
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	2,721	2,419
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(9,559)	(18,981)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	412,415	402,644
Commingled funds - Equity [Member] | Reported at net asset value
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	208,179	205,789
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	35,698	19,567
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(305)	(11,723)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	243,572	213,633
Private Equity Funds | Reported at net asset value
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	195,000	215,618
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	69,957	72,897
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	0	(637)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	264,957	287,878
Money Market Funds [Member] | Reported at net asset value
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	375,874	466,429
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	0	0
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	375,874	466,429
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | US Treasury Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	47,311	49,187
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	250	153
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(291)	(448)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	47,270	48,892
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Foreign Government Debt Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	45,738	56,343
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	73	23
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(1,138)	(1,797)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	44,673	54,569
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Corporate Debt Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	10,713	19,869
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	5	13
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(256)	(516)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	10,462	19,366
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	3,127	3,611
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	6	10
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(15)	(50)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	3,118	3,571
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Asset-backed Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	135	142
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	2	2
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(9)	(11)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	128	133
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Preferred Stock Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	6,086	9,058
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	496	180
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(114)	(412)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	6,468	8,826
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | US Common Stock Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	1,283,369	1,236,513
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	237,651	149,233
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(67,561)	(138,141)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,453,459	1,247,605
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | Canada Common Stock Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	36,092	34,821
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	9,614	9,082
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(1,110)	(3,026)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	44,596	40,877
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | Other International Common Stock Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	79,441	77,676
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	14,482	6,057
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(1,984)	(10,275)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	91,939	73,458
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | Equity Funds
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	815,033	760,887
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	21,692	7,104
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(87,972)	(151,853)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	748,753	616,138
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | Fixed Income Funds
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	1,195,893	1,180,325
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	4,201	800
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(45,751)	(89,179)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,154,343	1,091,946
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 | Other Investments
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	6,706	6,548
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	402	3,210
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	0	(3)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	$ 7,108	$ 9,755