Perhaps a ginger, Hedychium coronarium. The flowers are very fragrant. There is a pale yellow form that is a bit less nice scent-wise IMO. The stalks do not rebloom; I cut mine down to ground level after flowering is finished.

Normally if gingers freeze and turn brown, you cut them off at ground level.

You don't pull them out -- unless you live in a cold zone 7 (or colder) zone where they would freeze in the ground. In that case you would pot them up to protect them or else heavily mulch them.

In Central GA, you would leave them in the ground though. They will come up from rhizomes next spring.

Def. looks like a flowering ginger to me as well - & yes it resembles the fragrant kind, a.k.a. butterfly ginger - which I have & love the scent of - it is amazing!

You can save those rhizomes & regrow them, they are fairly forgiving & will multiply over time. I'd pot some up for sure.