Preneed Funeral Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) (Funeral, USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	$ 137,771	$ 290,705
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(6,983)	(12,519)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	166,271	114,048
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(27,025)	(30,144)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	304,042	404,753
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(34,008)	(42,663)
US Treasury Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	7,752	28,693
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(283)	(3,595)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	38,290	19,351
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(3,234)	(2,004)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	46,042	48,044
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(3,517)	(5,599)
Foreign Government Debt Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	5,045	9,546
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(19)	(120)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	19,903	18,981
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(944)	(993)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	24,948	28,527
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(963)	(1,113)
Corporate Debt Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	9,106	21,357
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(253)	(346)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,853	5,654
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(121)	(345)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	11,959	27,011
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(374)	(691)
Residential Mortgage Backed Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	168	1,381
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(5)	(25)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	401	172
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(16)	(8)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	569	1,553
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(21)	(33)
Asset-backed Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	464	3,275
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(1)	(10)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	464	3,275
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(1)	(10)
Preferred Stock Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	903	14,028
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(30)	(235)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	903	14,028
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(30)	(235)
US Common Stock Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	74,480	46,544
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(5,480)	(2,153)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,935	3,327
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(573)	(775)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	77,415	49,871
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(6,053)	(2,928)
Canada Common Stock Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	1,763	2,433
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(126)	(576)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,958	1,992
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(684)	(641)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,721	4,425
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(810)	(1,217)
Other International Common Stock Securities
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	3,311	3,396
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(339)	(138)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	538	369
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(52)	(60)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,849	3,765
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(391)	(198)
Equity Funds
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	15,493	16,206
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(179)	(337)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	9,525	12,456
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(1,051)	(1,966)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	25,018	28,662
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(1,230)	(2,303)
Fixed Income Funds
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	19,286	143,846
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	(268)	(4,984)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	77,428	38,217
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(13,430)	(14,593)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	96,714	182,063
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(13,698)	(19,577)
Private Equity Funds
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	12,440	13,002
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses	(6,920)	(8,726)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	12,440	13,002
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses	(6,920)	(8,726)
Other Investments
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value		0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Aggregate Losses		0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value		527
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Aggregate Losses		(33)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value		527
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Aggregate Losses		$ (33)