Segment Reporting Level 4 (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2019
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Restricted Cash and Cash Equivalents, Noncurrent	$ 2,055		$ 2,055		$ 2,051
Revenues	918,241	$ 769,241	2,541,241	$ 2,380,025
Interest expense	(40,721)	(46,678)	(126,839)	(141,385)
Depreciation and amortization			116,453	112,616
Amortization of intangibles			17,056	19,374
Amortization of cemetery property			56,854	48,648
Total assets	13,787,140		13,787,140		$ 13,677,430
Capital expenditures			155,597	177,173
Gross profits from reportable segments	263,656	159,732	661,467	542,712
Corporate general and administrative expenses	(40,986)	(29,668)	(109,968)	(101,864)
Gains on divestitures and impairment charges, net	543	(1,479)	5,825	(15,180)
Operating income	223,213	128,585	557,324	425,668
Losses on early extinguishment of debt, net	(18,278)	(9,058)	(18,428)	(16,637)
Other income (expense), net	629	20	548	1,614
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	164,843	72,869	412,605	269,260
UNITED STATES
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	878,723	726,702	2,419,837	2,248,176
CANADA
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	39,518	42,539	121,404	131,849
Funeral [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	518,634	460,123	1,504,477	1,431,895
Cemetery [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	399,607	309,118	1,036,764	948,130
Funeral Atneed Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	275,060	236,178	796,014	740,326
Funeral Matured Preneed Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	164,245	144,388	486,185	449,422
Funeral Core Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	439,305	380,566	1,282,199	1,189,748
Non-funeral Home Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	15,592	12,592	44,189	38,686
Funeral Recognized Preneed Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	32,744	33,561	93,207	104,614
Funeral Other Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	30,993	33,404	84,882	98,847
Cemetery Atneed Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	103,330	79,928	279,475	243,665
Cemetery Recognized Preneed Property Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	190,068	129,364	458,267	409,851
Cemetery Recognized Preneed Merchandise And Service Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	80,948	72,225	219,456	212,834
Cemetery Core Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	374,346	281,517	957,198	866,350
Cemetery Other Revenue [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 25,261	$ 27,601	$ 79,566	$ 81,780