Preneed Activities Schedule of Unrealized Loss on Investments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
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	$ 894,203	$ 1,396,640
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(38,798)	(56,889)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	455,159	883,668
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(56,907)	(121,759)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,349,362	2,280,308
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(95,705)	(178,648)
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	253,016	496,227
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(5,891)	(12,464)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	89,611	93,687
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(15,118)	(14,987)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	342,627	589,914
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(21,009)	(27,451)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	641,187	900,413
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(32,907)	(44,425)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	365,548	789,981
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(41,789)	(106,772)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	1,006,735	1,690,394
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(74,696)	(151,197)
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	4,879	41,409
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(10)	(838)
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	4,879	41,409
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(10)	(838)
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	13,702	2,913
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(116)	(31)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	3,576	3,344
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(248)	(191)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	17,278	6,257
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(364)	(222)
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	3,774	2,107
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(3)	(22)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	6,162
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	(205)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,774	8,269
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(3)	(227)
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	152	303
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(1)	(1)
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	152	303
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(1)	(1)
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	76	28
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(7)	(22)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	0	156
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	0	(9)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	76	184
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(7)	(31)
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	1,817	971
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(58)	(53)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	523	515
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(97)	(103)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	2,340	1,486
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(155)	(156)
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	237,944	271,433
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(21,780)	(23,168)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	19,785	50,923
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(2,547)	(12,374)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	257,729	322,356
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(24,327)	(35,542)
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	2,175	3,318
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(359)	(383)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	924	1,078
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(92)	(72)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	3,099	4,396
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(451)	(455)
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	6,198	19,274
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(856)	(4,139)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	9,868	24,525
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(3,482)	(6,493)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	16,066	43,799
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(4,338)	(10,632)
Equity Funds
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than Twelve Months, Fair Value	267,609	234,714
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(8,139)	(9,825)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	31,384	276,504
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(7,185)	(47,032)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	298,993	511,218
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(15,324)	(56,857)
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	102,861	323,917
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(1,578)	(5,941)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	299,472	425,614
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(28,137)	(40,278)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	402,333	749,531
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(29,715)	(46,219)
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	16	1,160
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(1)	(15)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	16	1,186
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(1)	(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	248,507	473,550
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(5,114)	(11,714)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	17,589	20,587
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(393)	(520)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	266,096	494,137
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss		(12,234)
Fixed Income Commingled funds [Member]
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	(5,507)
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	4,509	22,677
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Less than 12 Months, Accumulated Loss	(777)	(750)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Twelve Months or Longer, Fair Value	72,022	73,100
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, 12 Months or Longer, Accumulated Loss	(14,725)	(14,467)
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Fair Value	76,531	95,777
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss		$ (15,217)
Private Equity Funds
Schedule of unrealized loss on investments [Line Items]
Available-for-sale Securities, Continuous Unrealized Loss Position, Accumulated Loss	$ (15,502)