This is just one of the many personal items shared by loved ones at a memorial to mark the 30th anniversary of the disappearance of Cherri Mahan, held Sunday at Saxonburg Memorial Church.

SAXONBURG — Thirty years ago this past Sunday, 8-year-old Cherrie Mahan got off her school bus at the driveway to her Winfield Township house, but never made it to the front door.

Somewhere between Cornplanter Road and her house, she disappeared.

In the 30 years since that day, family, friends and police have scoured the area looking for the girl and a particular van that a witness saw in the area about the time of her disappearance.

The van had a painting of a mountain and a skier on it.

The only product of these search efforts has been frustration over not knowing what happened to her.

Many of those friends and family gathered Sunday at the Saxonburg Memorial Presbyterian Church, 100 E. Main St., for a memorial service for Cherrie, organized by her aunt, Carol Hines. The event lasted several hours.

Although Cherrie’s case remains under investigation by the state police, other cases of missing children have been solved thanks to a campaign started with Cherrie’s disappearance.

That campaign involved mailings with her photograph on it. The effort was extended to other missing children.

To help police in their continuing search for Cherrie, they are using an artist’s drawing of what she would look like today, at age 38.

Trooper Chris Birckbichler at the Butler barracks of the state police is assigned to Cherrie’s case.

He can be reached at 724-284-8100.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children also had an open file on Cherrie’s case.

The center is responsible for updating Cherrie’s image every five years to show her getting older.