Goodwill and Intangible Assets Goodwill and Intangible Assets Level 3 (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of Goodwill [Table Text Block]

The changes in the carrying amounts of goodwill for our funeral and cemetery reporting units are as follows:

	Years Ended December 31,
	2023						2022
	Funeral		Cemetery		Total		Funeral		Cemetery		Total
	(In thousands)
Beginning balance — Goodwill	$	1,603,600	$	341,988	$	1,945,588	$	1,584,175	$	330,907	$	1,915,082
Increase in goodwill related to acquisitions	13,994		17,053		31,047		26,143		11,081		37,224
Reduction of goodwill related to divestitures (1)	(1,502)		(225)		(1,727)		—		—		—
Effect of foreign currency	2,278		—		2,278		(6,718)		—		(6,718)
Total activity	14,770		16,828		31,598		19,425		11,081		30,506
Ending balance — Goodwill	$	1,618,370	$	358,816	$	1,977,186	$	1,603,600	$	341,988	$	1,945,588

Schedule of Intangible Assets [Table Text Block]

The components of intangible assets at December 31 were as follows:

	Useful Life
	Minimum		Maximum	2023		2022
	(Years)			(In thousands)
Amortizing intangibles:
Covenants-not-to-compete	5	-	15	$	222,930	$	222,461
Customer relationships	10	-	20	137,130		155,767
Tradenames	5	-	89	7,000		7,000
Other	5	-	89	26,927		26,927
				393,987		412,155
Less accumulated amortization:
Covenants-not-to-compete				207,301		205,450
Customer relationships				88,929		101,954
Tradenames				437		359
Other				11,025		10,285
				307,692		318,048
Amortizing intangibles, net				86,295		94,107
Non-amortizing intangibles:
Tradenames			Indefinite	388,049		376,138
Other			Indefinite	10,765		10,765
Non-amortizing intangibles				398,814		386,903
Intangible assets, net — included in Deferred charges and other assets, net				$	485,109	$	481,010

Schedule of Expected Amortization Expense [Table Text Block]

The following is estimated amortization expense, excluding certain intangibles for which we are unable to provide an estimate because they are amortized based on specific identification in the fulfillment of performance obligations on our preneed contracts, for the five years subsequent to December 31, 2023 (in thousands):

2024	$	6,478
2025	6,347
2026	4,771
2027	2,738
2028	2,146
Total estimated amortization expense	$	22,480