Preneed Activities Preneed Activities Receivables Net and Trust Invesments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Preneed Accounts Receivable Gross	$ 1,123,155	$ 1,038,944
Deferred Discounts, Finance Charges and Interest Included in Receivables	(33,986)	(50,570)
SEC Schedule, 12-15, Insurance Companies, Summary of Investments, Other than Investments in Related Parties, Fair Value	5,851,188	5,258,319
Investments	6,096,244	5,523,479
Accounts Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	1,089,169	988,374
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	19,204	14,757
Beginning balance — Preneed funeral receivables and trust investments	4,789,562	4,271,392
Cash receipts from customers, net of refunds	(1,279,295)	(1,280,468)
Deposits to trust	429,307	421,460
Acquisitions (dispositions) of businesses, net	19,299	11,751
Net undistributed investments (losses) earnings	407,770	489,577
Maturities and distributed earnings	(430,608)	(442,507)
Change in cancellation allowance	(4,468)	(2,006)
Effect of foreign currency and other	4,115	6,697
Ending balance — Preneed funeral receivables and trust investments	5,345,720	4,789,562
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts, Premiums and Other Receivables	41,142
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated in Current Fiscal Year	486,509
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated in Fiscal Year before Latest Fiscal Year	270,119
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Two Years before Latest Fiscal Year	162,969
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Three Years before Latest Fiscal Year	94,265
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Four Years before Latest Fiscal Year	43,896
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Five or More Years before Latest Fiscal Year	31,411
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	78,281
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Not Past Due	1,010,888
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Period Increase (Decrease)	7,739
Financing Receivable, Purchased with Credit Deterioration, Allowance for Credit Loss at Acquisition Date	9
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Writeoff	3,270
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Foreign Currency Translation	13
Financial Asset, 1 to 29 Days Past Due [Member]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	31,881
Financing Receivables 30 to 90 Days Past Due [Member]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	23,324
Financing Receivables 91 to 180 Days Past Due [Member]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	6,766
Financing Receivables, Equal to Greater Than 180 days Past Due [Member]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	16,310
Funeral [Member]
Preneed Accounts Receivable Gross	143,896	130,971
Deferred Discounts, Finance Charges and Interest Included in Receivables	(14,018)	(16,328)
Accounts Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	129,878	114,643
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	10,940	8,057
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts, Premiums and Other Receivables	(1,452)
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated in Current Fiscal Year	60,249
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated in Fiscal Year before Latest Fiscal Year	37,497
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Two Years before Latest Fiscal Year	13,276
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Three Years before Latest Fiscal Year	6,353
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Four Years before Latest Fiscal Year	3,039
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Five or More Years before Latest Fiscal Year	9,464
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	22,950
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Not Past Due	106,928
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Period Increase (Decrease)	5,652
Financing Receivable, Purchased with Credit Deterioration, Allowance for Credit Loss at Acquisition Date	9
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Writeoff	2,750
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Foreign Currency Translation	10
Funeral [Member] | Financial Asset, 1 to 29 Days Past Due [Member]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	3,593
Funeral [Member] | Financing Receivables 30 to 90 Days Past Due [Member]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	2,503
Funeral [Member] | Financing Receivables 91 to 180 Days Past Due [Member]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	1,533
Funeral [Member] | Financing Receivables, Equal to Greater Than 180 days Past Due [Member]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	15,321
Cemetery [Member]
Preneed Accounts Receivable Gross	979,259	907,973
Deferred Discounts, Finance Charges and Interest Included in Receivables	(19,968)	(34,242)
Accounts Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	959,291	873,731
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	8,264	$ 6,700
Allowance for Doubtful Accounts, Premiums and Other Receivables	(39,690)
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated in Current Fiscal Year	426,260
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated in Fiscal Year before Latest Fiscal Year	232,622
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Two Years before Latest Fiscal Year	149,693
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Three Years before Latest Fiscal Year	87,912
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Four Years before Latest Fiscal Year	40,857
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Five or More Years before Latest Fiscal Year	21,947
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	55,331
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Not Past Due	903,960
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Period Increase (Decrease)	2,087
Financing Receivable, Purchased with Credit Deterioration, Allowance for Credit Loss at Acquisition Date	0
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Writeoff	520
Financing Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Foreign Currency Translation	3
Cemetery [Member] | Financial Asset, 1 to 29 Days Past Due [Member]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	28,288
Cemetery [Member] | Financing Receivables 30 to 90 Days Past Due [Member]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	20,821
Cemetery [Member] | Financing Receivables 91 to 180 Days Past Due [Member]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	5,233
Cemetery [Member] | Financing Receivables, Equal to Greater Than 180 days Past Due [Member]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Credit Quality Indicator [Line Items]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	$ 989