Preneed Activities Schedule of Available-for-sale Securities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Document Period End Date	Jun. 30, 2019
Amortized Cost Basis	$ 3,607,985	$ 3,434,980
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	340,266	175,867
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(187,831)	(395,711)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	3,760,420	3,215,136
Reported at net asset value
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	1,173,881	1,307,042
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	127,470	94,883
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(3,180)	(31,341)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,298,171	1,370,584
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member]
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	4,781,866	4,742,022
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	467,736	270,750
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(191,011)	(427,052)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	5,058,591	4,585,720
Fixed Income Commingled funds [Member] | Reported at net asset value
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	432,113	419,206
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	5,185	2,419
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(3,083)	(18,981)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	434,215	402,644
Commingled funds - Equity [Member] | Reported at net asset value
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	209,194	205,789
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	48,175	19,567
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	0	(11,723)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	257,369	213,633
Private Equity Funds | Reported at net asset value
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	189,107	215,618
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	74,110	72,897
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(97)	(637)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	263,120	287,878
Money Market Funds [Member] | Reported at net asset value
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	343,467	466,429
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	0	0
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	343,467	466,429
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | US Treasury Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	49,425	49,187
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	666	153
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(141)	(448)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	49,950	48,892
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Foreign Government Debt Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	49,627	56,343
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	118	23
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(1,196)	(1,797)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	48,549	54,569
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Corporate Debt Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	13,194	19,869
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	53	13
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(233)	(516)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	13,014	19,366
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Residential Mortgage Backed Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	3,311	3,611
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	48	10
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(1)	(50)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	3,358	3,571
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Asset-backed Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	134	142
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	3	2
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(7)	(11)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	130	133
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 2 | Preferred Stock Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	6,114	9,058
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	498	180
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(116)	(412)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	6,496	8,826
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | US Common Stock Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	1,280,063	1,236,513
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	272,490	149,233
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(60,342)	(138,141)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,492,211	1,247,605
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | Canada Common Stock Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	38,568	34,821
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	10,489	9,082
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(1,824)	(3,026)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	47,233	40,877
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | Other International Common Stock Securities
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	83,107	77,676
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	14,817	6,057
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(2,952)	(10,275)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	94,972	73,458
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | Equity Funds
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	842,772	760,887
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	27,898	7,104
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(82,654)	(151,853)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	788,016	616,138
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 1 | Fixed Income Funds
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	1,235,660	1,180,325
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	12,608	800
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	(38,365)	(89,179)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	1,209,903	1,091,946
Fair Value, Inputs, Level 3 | Other Investments
Debt Securities, Available-for-sale [Line Items]
Amortized Cost Basis	6,010	6,548
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Gain, before Tax	578	3,210
Accumulated Gross Unrealized Loss, before Tax	0	(3)
Available-for-sale Securities, Fair Value	$ 6,588	$ 9,755