Family of slain mother Penny Taylor celebrates her life on her birthday

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Dorian Barker is facing preliminary charges for the murder of his wife, Penny Taylor.

The 28-year-old woman died of gunshot wounds in her East Side home Monday.

Friday would have been her 29th birthday.

Her brothers and sisters still gathered at her home, to light candles and remember their sister.

“She’d light up the room, center of attention, no matter what room she walked in she’s the center of attention,” Penny’s Sister Anae Taylor said.

Penny Taylor’s seven sisters and two brothers spent Friday night reminiscing about all the reasons they loved her, like her love of road trips.

“She’s the get up and go type. We would always just get up hit the highway, as long as we had gas money and money for food it didn’t matter,” Penny’s sister Latosha Holloway said.

And how much their kids loved their Aunt Penny.

“Everything was about the kids,” Holloway said.

“There’s this Drake song that comes on ‘I’m gonna call you on the cell phone’ and every time he hears that he’s like ‘Mommy, Penny’s gonna call me on my cell phone, I’m gonna call Aunt Penny on her cell phone,” Penny’s Sister Alissa Taylor said.

Instead of the surprise birthday party they had planned Friday night, they had a celebration of her life, complete with candles and the happy birthday song.

“She always tried to make people happy, dancing, listening to music, just all around a great person,” Anae Taylor said.

The family is having a hard week explaining Penny’s absence to her nieces and nephews.

“I try to tell him that she’s in heaven, she’s in a good place, we’re not going to see her physically, but she’s always here,” Alissa Taylor said.

Penny Taylor’s two children are being taken care of my family members at this time.

The family has set up a GoFundMe account in her name for a savings account for her sons.