Preneed Funeral Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) - Funeral - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	$ 220,362	$ 343,948
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(9,150)	(17,390)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	228,311	227,248
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(22,634)	(38,882)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	448,673	571,196
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(31,784)	(56,272)
Reported at net asset value
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	72,515	75,734
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(484)	(1,168)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	38,756	40,468
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(3,606)	(5,189)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	111,271	116,202
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(4,090)	(6,357)
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	147,847	268,214
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(8,666)	(16,222)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	189,555	186,780
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(19,028)	(33,693)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	337,402	454,994
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(27,694)	(49,915)
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	24,169	25,996
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(372)	(557)
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, Accumulated Loss	0	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	24,169	25,996
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(372)	(557)
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	4,011	2,847
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(45)	(30)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	173	191
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(14)	(12)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	4,184	3,038
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(59)	(42)
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	1,383	1,710
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(15)	(15)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	2,564	3,560
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(56)	(77)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,947	5,270
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(71)	(92)
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		0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss		0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value		55
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss		(3)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value		55
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss		(3)
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	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	0
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	51
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(1)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	51
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(1)
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	112	125
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(29)	(17)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	95	98
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(25)	(22)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	207	223
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(54)	(39)
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	58,091	87,059
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(5,017)	(8,149)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	13,858	14,939
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	(3,376)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	71,949	101,998
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(5,017)	(11,525)
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	3,353	2,832
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(430)	(254)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	124	482
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(11)	(9)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,477	3,314
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(441)	(263)
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	3,846	5,390
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(357)	(1,301)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	7,567	7,368
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(2,082)	(1,866)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	11,413	12,758
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(2,439)	(3,167)
Equity Funds
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	25,972	108,109
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(1,954)	(5,080)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	132,756	127,273
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(10,474)	(21,762)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	158,728	235,382
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(12,428)	(26,842)
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	26,910	34,120
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(447)	(817)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	30,967	31,654
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(6,335)	(6,551)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	57,877	65,774
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(6,782)	(7,368)
Private Equity Funds | Reported at net asset value
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	28	693
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(17)	(481)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	20,373	22,812
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(2,942)	(4,709)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	20,401	23,505
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(2,959)	(5,190)
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	26
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	0	(2)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	1,400	1,160
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(30)	(15)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,400	1,186
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(30)	17
Fixed Income Commingled funds [Member] | Reported at net asset value
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	72,487	75,041
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(467)	(687)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	18,383	17,656
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(664)	(480)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	90,870	92,697
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	$ (1,131)	$ (1,167)