Preneed Activities Preneed Activities Receivables Net and Trust Invesments - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2021	Dec. 31, 2020
Investments	$ 6,306,011	$ 6,096,244
Accounts Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	1,144,875	1,089,169
Beginning balance — Preneed funeral receivables and trust investments	5,345,720
Deposits to trust	120,283
Ending balance — Preneed funeral receivables and trust investments	5,549,121
Cemetery perpetual care trust investments	1,881,728	1,820,489
Deferred Discounts, Finance Charges and Interest Included in Receivables	(30,627)	(33,986)
Accounts Receivable, after Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	1,124,838	1,069,965
Preneed Accounts Receivable Gross	1,175,502	1,123,155
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	(20,037)	(19,204)
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated in Current Fiscal Year	166,261
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated in Fiscal Year before Latest Fiscal Year	451,630
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Two Years before Latest Fiscal Year	241,996
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Three Years before Latest Fiscal Year	143,308
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Four Years before Latest Fiscal Year	80,548
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Five or More Years before Latest Fiscal Year	61,132
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Not Past Due	1,072,387
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	72,488
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Writeoff	946
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Period Increase (Decrease)	(1,774)
Effect of Foreign Exchange on Allowance for Credit Loss	(5)
Financial Asset, 1 to 29 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	29,234
Financing Receivables 30 To 90 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	19,968
Financing Receivables 91 To180 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	5,945
Financing Receivables, Equal to Greater than 180 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	17,341
Funeral [Member]
Accounts Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	137,954	129,878
Deferred Discounts, Finance Charges and Interest Included in Receivables	(13,339)	(14,018)
Accounts Receivable, after Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	126,504	118,938
Preneed Accounts Receivable Gross	151,293	143,896
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	(11,450)	(10,940)
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated in Current Fiscal Year	24,115
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated in Fiscal Year before Latest Fiscal Year	52,370
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Two Years before Latest Fiscal Year	32,855
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Three Years before Latest Fiscal Year	11,182
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Four Years before Latest Fiscal Year	5,300
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Five or More Years before Latest Fiscal Year	12,132
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Not Past Due	114,223
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	23,731
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Writeoff	857
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Period Increase (Decrease)	(1,366)
Effect of Foreign Exchange on Allowance for Credit Loss	(1)
Funeral [Member] | Financial Asset, 1 to 29 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	3,608
Funeral [Member] | Financing Receivables 30 To 90 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	2,047
Funeral [Member] | Financing Receivables 91 To180 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	1,623
Funeral [Member] | Financing Receivables, Equal to Greater than 180 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	16,453
Cemetery [Member]
Accounts Receivable, before Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	1,006,921	959,291
Deferred Discounts, Finance Charges and Interest Included in Receivables	(17,288)	(19,968)
Accounts Receivable, after Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	998,334	951,027
Preneed Accounts Receivable Gross	1,024,209	979,259
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Noncurrent	(8,587)	$ (8,264)
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated in Current Fiscal Year	142,146
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated in Fiscal Year before Latest Fiscal Year	399,260
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Two Years before Latest Fiscal Year	209,141
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Three Years before Latest Fiscal Year	132,126
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Four Years before Latest Fiscal Year	75,248
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Originated Five or More Years before Latest Fiscal Year	49,000
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Not Past Due	958,164
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	48,757
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss [Roll Forward]
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Writeoff	89
Accounts Receivable, Allowance for Credit Loss, Period Increase (Decrease)	(408)
Effect of Foreign Exchange on Allowance for Credit Loss	(4)
Cemetery [Member] | Financial Asset, 1 to 29 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	25,626
Cemetery [Member] | Financing Receivables 30 To 90 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	17,921
Cemetery [Member] | Financing Receivables 91 To180 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	4,322
Cemetery [Member] | Financing Receivables, Equal to Greater than 180 Days Past Due [Member]
Financing Receivable, Recorded Investment, Aging [Abstract]
Accounts Receivable, Noncurrent, Past Due	$ 888