Preneed Activities Preneed Activities Receivables Net and Trust Invesments - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Investments	$ 5,487,323	$ 5,487,323	$ 5,523,479
Accounts Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	1,038,495	1,038,495	988,374
Beginning balance — Preneed funeral receivables and trust investments		4,789,562
Deposits to trust	113,444	317,338
Ending balance — Preneed funeral receivables and trust investments	4,835,434	4,835,434
Cemetery perpetual care trust investments	1,671,052	1,671,052	1,681,149
Deferred Discounts, Finance Charges and Interest Included in Receivables	(37,963)	(37,963)	(50,570)
Accounts Receivable, after Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	1,019,163	1,019,163	947,232
Preneed Accounts Receivable Gross	1,076,458	1,076,458	1,038,944
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts, Premiums and Other Receivables			(41,142)
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	(19,332)	(19,332)	(14,757)
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated in Current Fiscal Year	351,778	351,778
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated in Fiscal Year before Latest Fiscal Year	301,030	301,030
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Two Years before Latest Fiscal Year	183,270	183,270
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Three Years before Latest Fiscal Year	109,470	109,470
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Four Years before Latest Fiscal Year	53,865	53,865
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Five or More Years before Latest Fiscal Year	39,082	39,082
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Not Past Due	961,367	961,367
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	77,128	77,128
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Writeoff		2,268
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Period Increase (Decrease)		(6,886)
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Acquisitions		9
Effect of Foreign Exchange on Allowance for Credit Loss		34
Financial Asset, 1 to 29 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	30,998	30,998
Financing Receivables 30 To 90 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	21,120	21,120
Financing Receivables 91 To180 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	7,603	7,603
Financing Receivables, Equal to Greater than 180 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	17,407	17,407
Funeral [Member]
Accounts Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	126,424	126,424	114,643
Deferred Discounts, Finance Charges and Interest Included in Receivables	(14,843)	(14,843)	(16,328)
Accounts Receivable, after Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	115,496	115,496	113,191
Preneed Accounts Receivable Gross	141,267	141,267	130,971
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts, Premiums and Other Receivables			(1,452)
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	(10,928)	(10,928)	(8,057)
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated in Current Fiscal Year	47,560	47,560
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated in Fiscal Year before Latest Fiscal Year	42,161	42,161
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Two Years before Latest Fiscal Year	15,654	15,654
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Three Years before Latest Fiscal Year	7,622	7,622
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Four Years before Latest Fiscal Year	3,391	3,391
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Five or More Years before Latest Fiscal Year	10,036	10,036
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Not Past Due	103,831	103,831
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	22,593	22,593
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Writeoff		1,861
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Period Increase (Decrease)		(4,757)
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Acquisitions		9
Effect of Foreign Exchange on Allowance for Credit Loss		16
Funeral [Member] | Financial Asset, 1 to 29 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	2,464	2,464
Funeral [Member] | Financing Receivables 30 To 90 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	1,925	1,925
Funeral [Member] | Financing Receivables 91 To180 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	1,617	1,617
Funeral [Member] | Financing Receivables, Equal to Greater than 180 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	16,587	16,587
Cemetery [Member]
Accounts Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	912,071	912,071	873,731
Deferred Discounts, Finance Charges and Interest Included in Receivables	(23,120)	(23,120)	(34,242)
Accounts Receivable, after Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	903,667	903,667	834,041
Preneed Accounts Receivable Gross	935,191	935,191	907,973
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts, Premiums and Other Receivables			(39,690)
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	(8,404)	(8,404)	$ (6,700)
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated in Current Fiscal Year	304,218	304,218
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated in Fiscal Year before Latest Fiscal Year	258,869	258,869
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Two Years before Latest Fiscal Year	167,616	167,616
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Three Years before Latest Fiscal Year	101,848	101,848
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Four Years before Latest Fiscal Year	50,474	50,474
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Five or More Years before Latest Fiscal Year	29,046	29,046
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Not Past Due	857,536	857,536
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	54,535	54,535
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Writeoff		407
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Period Increase (Decrease)		(2,129)
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Acquisitions		0
Effect of Foreign Exchange on Allowance for Credit Loss		18
Cemetery [Member] | Financial Asset, 1 to 29 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	28,534	28,534
Cemetery [Member] | Financing Receivables 30 To 90 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	19,195	19,195
Cemetery [Member] | Financing Receivables 91 To180 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	5,986	5,986
Cemetery [Member] | Financing Receivables, Equal to Greater than 180 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	$ 820	$ 820