Preneed Activities Preneed Activities Receivables Net and Trust Invesments - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2020	Jun. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Investments	$ 5,245,278	$ 5,245,278	$ 5,523,479
Accounts Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	995,298	995,298	988,374
Beginning balance — Preneed funeral receivables and trust investments		4,789,562
Deposits to trust	98,341	203,894
Ending balance — Preneed funeral receivables and trust investments	4,622,700	4,622,700
Cemetery perpetual care trust investments	1,599,599	1,599,599	1,681,149
Deferred Discounts, Finance Charges and Interest Included in Receivables	(42,520)	(42,520)	(50,570)
Accounts Receivable, after Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	977,021	977,021	947,232
Preneed Accounts Receivable Gross	1,037,818	1,037,818	1,038,944
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts, Premiums and Other Receivables			41,142
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	(18,277)	(18,277)	(14,757)
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated in Current Fiscal Year	214,946	214,946
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated in Fiscal Year before Latest Fiscal Year	334,609	334,609
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Two Years before Latest Fiscal Year	206,691	206,691
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Three Years before Latest Fiscal Year	125,978	125,978
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Four Years before Latest Fiscal Year	64,556	64,556
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Five or More Years before Latest Fiscal Year	48,518	48,518
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Not Past Due	913,615	913,615
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	81,683	81,683
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Writeoff		1,702
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Period Increase (Decrease)		(5,275)
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Acquisitions		13
Effect of Foreign Exchange on Allowance for Credit Loss		40
Financial Asset, 1 to 29 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	26,932	26,932
Financing Receivables 30 To 90 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	24,849	24,849
Financing Receivables 91 To180 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	12,522	12,522
Financing Receivables, Equal to Greater than 180 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	17,380	17,380
Funeral [Member]
Accounts Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	121,297	121,297	114,643
Deferred Discounts, Finance Charges and Interest Included in Receivables	(15,583)	(15,583)	16,328
Accounts Receivable, after Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	110,947	110,947	113,191
Preneed Accounts Receivable Gross	136,880	136,880	130,971
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts, Premiums and Other Receivables			1,452
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	(10,350)	(10,350)	(8,057)
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated in Current Fiscal Year	32,928	32,928
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated in Fiscal Year before Latest Fiscal Year	47,157	47,157
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Two Years before Latest Fiscal Year	18,298	18,298
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Three Years before Latest Fiscal Year	9,076	9,076
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Four Years before Latest Fiscal Year	3,685	3,685
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Five or More Years before Latest Fiscal Year	10,153	10,153
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Not Past Due	99,108	99,108
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	22,189	22,189
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Writeoff		1,452
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Period Increase (Decrease)		(3,777)
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Acquisitions		13
Effect of Foreign Exchange on Allowance for Credit Loss		19
Funeral [Member] | Financial Asset, 1 to 29 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	3,835	3,835
Funeral [Member] | Financing Receivables 30 To 90 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	2,233	2,233
Funeral [Member] | Financing Receivables 91 To180 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	1,331	1,331
Funeral [Member] | Financing Receivables, Equal to Greater than 180 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	14,790	14,790
Cemetery [Member]
Accounts Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	874,001	874,001	873,731
Deferred Discounts, Finance Charges and Interest Included in Receivables	(26,937)	(26,937)	34,242
Accounts Receivable, after Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	866,074	866,074	834,041
Preneed Accounts Receivable Gross	900,938	900,938	907,973
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts, Premiums and Other Receivables			(39,690)
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	(7,927)	(7,927)	$ (6,700)
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated in Current Fiscal Year	182,018	182,018
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated in Fiscal Year before Latest Fiscal Year	287,452	287,452
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Two Years before Latest Fiscal Year	188,393	188,393
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Three Years before Latest Fiscal Year	116,902	116,902
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Four Years before Latest Fiscal Year	60,871	60,871
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Five or More Years before Latest Fiscal Year	38,365	38,365
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Not Past Due	814,507	814,507
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	59,494	59,494
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Writeoff		250
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Period Increase (Decrease)		(1,498)
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Acquisitions		0
Effect of Foreign Exchange on Allowance for Credit Loss		21
Cemetery [Member] | Financial Asset, 1 to 29 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	23,097	23,097
Cemetery [Member] | Financing Receivables 30 To 90 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	22,616	22,616
Cemetery [Member] | Financing Receivables 91 To180 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	11,191	11,191
Cemetery [Member] | Financing Receivables, Equal to Greater than 180 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	$ 2,590	$ 2,590